Scar Amnesty
by squallwis04
Summary: Squall POV. Life and training at Garden, the battle with the sorceress and a search for identity. SquallRinoa later on. Please R&R. Finally updated!
1. Prologue

**_DISCLAIMER_**: Let me start off by saying: "**I do NOT own Final Fantasy, any of its characters, places and other names, etc. All of it belongs to Squaresoft.** Again, **EVERYTHING in any Final Fantasy game that is also found here DOES NOT BELONG TO ME!!! It's all Squaresoft's!** This plot, however, and everything found here NOT found in any Final Fantasy game (or in any other game, for that matter), is my own, spawn of my unbridled, albeit quite unimaginative, imagination. Any resemblance of any name to any person, living or otherwise, is PURELY COINCIDENTIAL (with one exception, and I've got permission for it, so there! ). Please keep these facts in mind as you read this fic."

**AUTHOR'S NOTES aka RANDOM RAMBLING:**

Fic started: July 22, 2002 (a long time ago...)

Hello, all. Well, this is my first fanfic, and it's about Final Fantasy VIII (obviously). You'll probably notice that it's quite descriptive, like I tend to describe the Garden, some of the characters' personalities, etc. This is because I want all (FF fans as well as the rest of humanity) to understand most everything.

Okay, so maybe some OOC ness, I'm trying to put the characters in the, er...character I perceive them to have.

And yeah, well, I guess this fic does look like most other fics out there but I try to make most everything as original and as enjoyable as possible. Please read anyway. If you like it, thanks. If you don't, well, just stop reading. It's a matter of preference anyway. Ne?

Thanks first of all to Squaresoft for the great games, characters, and stories.

Thanks to all the "ficwriters" over at fanfiction.com, especially those in the Anime and Game sections, for all the great fics. I must admit, your stories have inspired me to write this piece of fiction (thus the unintentional similarities). You guys rock! 

And thanks to you, dear reader! Yeah, you, for reading this. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

Oh yeah, please review, if possible. I mean constructive criticism and favorable comments, that is. Well, if you just HATE the fic, then don't continue reading! It's that simple! You don't have to blab of 'how the story sucks' or something. Well, you can write flames, but you'd just be wasting your time and effort, you can be sure of that. So please. If you don't like this, then just go and write something you do like . Everyone has the potential to come up with a great story.

Well, on with my story...

**PROLOGUE**

_The pure, cerulean waters crash against the fine grains of sand...the dwelling was solitary yet it possessed an amiable aura...a fragrant field of flowers blooming on the side opposite the blue, luminous ocean...colorful petals swirling in the wind...the sky overhead radiantly azure and clear, stretching as far as the eye could see..._

_I sat amongst the flora, staring at the sky and taking in the beautiful scenery. A soothing melody drifted through the air...the soft, female voice beautifully endearing and yet painfully familiar...I listened, closing my eyes, as I sensed her presence behind me. _

_As I turned to look at her face, everything seemed to blur. _

_'Huh...?' _

_All I could make of her face was its outline. Her long, black hair fell over her shoulders, the deep hue a sharp contrast to her somewhat fair complexion. I sat staring at her hazy silhouette for some time, feeling a deep sense of tranquility. She leaned down to take my hand when, slowly, everything faded into darkness._

_'What the...?'_

_The ominous black enveloped everything in sight...faint moans of anguish rang forth in the distance ahead...then closer...louder...towards me...until the now deafening cries were upon me...surrounding me...I couldn't move...I couldn't breathe...help...someone...please!_

_I opened my mouth to call for help but no sound escaped my throat...around me were the sounds of screaming. Searing heat from raging flames radiated from all directions, encasing me in a cage of burning pain. _

_'What is this...?!'_

_Then I saw her...she stood in front of me, a faint aura glowing around her, her arms outstretched as if inviting me to her warm embrace... I weakly tried to reach out for her...she started to vanish as she called out my name, "Squall...squall..."_

_I tried to shout, to call her name, but nothing...the deathly sounds still prevailed over me. I looked at her helplessly until she faded completely..._

_'No!' How could I have lost her? How could she have left me here? Who was going to help me now? Someone...please..._

_All at once, the shadows fled, leaving me in the garden of before, which was now dead and rotting, as if a vile plague had overrun the earth itself. As the burning pain left my body I slumped helplessly to the ground. As I sucked in air, hot and putrid as it was, I couldn't help but feel just a little relieved. 'It's over...'_

_But it wasn't...not yet. Once again I heard the menacing, demonic wailing in the distance in front of me...louder...more overwhelming this time...haunting...creeping...annihilating everything in its path as it did so. I slowly raised my head to look in the direction of the sound...and saw the darkness...formless...an empty void...but deadlier...more threatening this time...it was sure to finish me off...the next time..._

_And it was moving towards me._

_I wobbly scrambled to my feet and began running, away from the shadows and their accursed screams of death. I glanced back...found it gaining...I pushed my legs faster...adrenaline filling even my very spirit...I willed myself to outrun the darkness..._

_'Not this time! Not again! Not ever again!' _

_...but to no avail.__ My foe was catching up and all I could do was delay the inevitable. All around me lay the wasteland that was once the serene environment I knew so much...now desolate...now blood-stained...now lifeless._

_It was almost upon me...with a mighty wail, the shadows leapt forward to engulf me...to destroy me._

_But suddenly, before the creature could complete its task...the earth trembled...shook violently...as if it had a will of its own..._

_...the ground right under me collapsed..._

_...and I screamed in terror as I fell into an endless abyss..._


	2. Obscure Identity

**CHAPTER 1**

Obscure Identity

I sat bolt upright, my heart beating wildly, my breathing erratic. Staring at my reflection in the mirror directly ahead, I saw my eyes were filled with absolute fear.

I looked around, blinking, trying to make sure I was really conscious, that this was not another dream. Finding myself now fully awake and, thankfully, somewhere familiar - in my room at the dormitory in Balamb Garden - made me sigh with relief. I rose and went to the other end of the room to get a glass of water. '_Not again..._' I thought, exasperated.

After a few glasses of the cool, refreshing liquid, I calmed down a bit. I stood by the window next to my bed and looked out, into the dim, tranquil sky. The first few rays of the sun, scarcely creeping out from the horizon, marked the dawn of another morning.

'_Another one of those days..._' __

I slowly glanced at the digital timepiece that rested on the table beside the bed, which read 5:01. I plopped down on the comfortable mattress and shut my eyes. I lay in the darkness for a while but soon found it hard to go back to sleep. Frustrated, I got up and continued staring out the window. Consequently, my mind began to wander as usual, and I guess I was too groggy and contemplative to object, or even notice, for that matter...

_'Balamb Garden, the prestigious military academy, was, in effect, like a town in itself, that it had everything one might need all amassed in one immense structure. Large as it is, I know most every section of the entire edifice that I could draw an accurate atlas without even thinking. The main hall was a circular walkway, kind of shaped like a giant wheel, and a fountain, as well as an elevator leading to other floors, stood in the very axis. Eight corridors led to different facilities. In the north block were the dormitories. Going clockwise from there, in the east block, were the parking lot, then the training center, and the library. The main entrance that led to the front gate lay in the south block, directly opposite the dormitories. In the west block were the infirmary, the quad and the cafeteria. In the main entrance hall was a directory, or more accurately, a map of the first floor. Classrooms were located on the second floor, and the headmaster's office was on the third. Aside from Balamb, there were two other Gardens, namely Galbadia and Trabia. This one was the first constructed, though, making it the pioneer, so to speak, as well as the main headquarters of its original founder, and Headmaster of Balamb as well, Cid Kramer._

_Strangely, never did I find traces of my mother and father, or any other detail concerning my past...I was oblivious to any memory prior to my coming to this Garden. I had, at one time, gone over my personal records here and found out my age, DOB (date-of-birth; now how the heck did they know those and nothing about my parents, or anything else?), blood type, and other general information, but, quite oddly (and very disappointingly), nothing about my parents or my early life. I almost considered once that I had been born in this very place, but then again, it seemed highly unlikely...I guess. It's just that the Garden has been my home for as long as I could remember, not that I could even recall very far back to my conscious past, though I did have the benefit of photographs to help me remember earlier days here. _

_Perhaps almost everything I know, I learned in this place. As of now, lessons were mostly about combat, strategies, and the like. After all, we were, as of very recently, considered candidates for SeeD instead of junior students. _

_SeeD: the elite mercenary force and pride of Balamb Garden, as Headmaster Cid. Many nations have called upon them in times of confrontation, but for a price. Highly effective and well-organized, SeeD mercenaries were exceptional combatants. According to Cid, who besides being the founder was also the Balamb Headmaster, I had extraordinary potential to become an outstanding member, and possibly a commander of the entire force. After all, it was the primary objective of the Garden to train individuals to become SeeD mercenaries. Perhaps basic education was only a by-product to fully condition the individual in his/her combat or strategy training._

_Speaking of combat, I wielded a weapon called a gunblade, which looked like, as the name suggests, a combination of a gun and a sword. Specifically, mine was like a revolver with a long, wide blade attached longitudinally to the breech instead of a barrel, handled more like a sword, as one attacked by slashing or thrusting at his opponent while gripping the weapon as one would a gun. A powerful blast ensued if the trigger was pulled when the blade struck the enemy. So far I was one of the very few in the entire Garden with sufficient skill to actually use it in fighting, and there weren't many more who knew how to handle one. Even the elite force SeeD was yet to have a gunblade specialist in the ranks._

_Aside from being the best student in class and one of the most skilled in combat, others referred to me as a competent, headstrong leader, albeit a very stubborn and quite stoic one, a lone wolf. It's not that I really hated other people, but they only seem to complicate things. I could never really explain why I act as such, I just did. It just seemed...practical._

_There were a few individuals who spent quite their time with me. Perhaps they've become rather accustomed to my attitude and thus weren't very much bothered by it. They too have been here in Balamb with me for as long as I could recall, it would seem._

_Zell Dincht, a classmate of mine for a long time now, was quite the eccentric. He had blond hair that spiked up front and a tattoo on the left side of his face, which complemented his fiery, energetic and somewhat reckless attitude, which, in turn, got him into fights quite often. He was respected, nonetheless, because he also was very trustworthy and kind, in his own way, at least. _

_Lorraine, or Lori/Lorrie for short, Gerin, also a classmate, was a pretty picture of politeness, conventionality and good manners, though rather shy around others. She managed a part-time task as a librarian at the Balamb library, but also had enough free time to spend with her friends. I always thought that her ethos was an extremely far cry from that of Zell's, but the two get along perfectly, and have become quite close as well. They're both 17, the same age as I am._

_Quistis Trepe, a member of SeeD and newly appointed instructor, served as both our professor and our friend, though more the latter than anything else. Only little more than a year older than we were, I considered her something of a prodigy, since she was able to get into SeeD at such an early age, and I respected her for that. She behaved kind of in a way my other two peers did, most especially when she wasn't on-duty as a professor, which was quite understandable because we used to be classmates also before. It was just that she was more advanced, in a way, and was able to graduate and become a member of SeeD before the rest of us, who were still undergrad candidates. Her popularity was not to be underestimated, as most of the Garden populace considered her very intelligent, mature and extremely beautiful; and there even is a "fan club", unofficial but recognized anyway in the entire university, dedicated to her, whose members were known as the "Trepies"...sometimes I really think Garden would soon be overrun by madmen and oddballs..._

_Then there was that dream...I had nightmares quite often and had grown somewhat accustomed to having them, though I did wake up in the middle of the night terrified each time. But...there was something different this time...'_

A bright light suddenly struck my eyes. I cringed a bit, but my focus soon adjusted. I cautiously squinted and saw the first direct rays of sunlight stream into my room. Quietly thanking the sun for snapping me out of my reverie, I couldn't help but smile at that moment. '_I guess I think too much sometimes..._'

I glanced again at my clock, which now read 5:52 A.M., deciding to study for the rest of the morning instead of going back to sleep. Anyway, classes started at 8:00 and who knew when I'd wake up if I had fallen asleep now. I stared up at the ceiling for some time before finally getting up.

'_Another one of those days..._'


	3. Unexpected Circumstances

**CHAPTER 2**

Unexpected Circumstances

'_Okay, so maybe not another of those days..._'

I put down the book I had been reading for sometime now and stretched my arms. The day was nearly over, I was quite happy that it was. Nighttime had settled and all that illuminated my new room were the reading light atop my desk, flinging shadows all across the four walls of my quarters, and the pale moon that shone outside. '_But this day certainly has been eventful..._' I mused, sprawling out on the bed and recalling the events that transpired earlier...

**_Flashback:_**

_We spent the entire morning at class and training. Recently, classes have been anything but boring. Besides, discussing battle strategies and fighting in the training center were apparently much more interesting than listening to long lectures on history or math. _

_I was quietly eating lunch at the cafeteria after class when the PA system blared out. "Good afternoon to all junior students, SeeDs, SeeD candidates and faculty..." it was Headmaster Cid. _

_'What is it this time?' I griped mutely. I almost never did pay any attention to the announcements, since none of them were really that important to me. I did, though, chance upon some statements now and then._

_"...and the top students from different Gardens shall be sent here, to Balamb, to receive the finest training and education..." the Headmaster's speech was, as usual, extremely sleep-inducing and I didn't actually find the subject too interesting. 'Not that it concerns me anyway,' I thought to myself. In the adjacent table I could hear my classmates Zell and __Lorraine__, the former talking rather loudly that his voice might have been clearly heard across the room even with all the noise._

_"Hey, hear that? Some students from the other Gardens're gonna be sent here," Zell said excitedly, repeating the headmaster's previous statement._

_"I wonder what kind of people they are..." Lori said, only half-listening to Zell as she was quite intent on the announcement._

_Zell, on the other hand, was just loud._

_"I hope they're not total geeks with no social life whatsoever," Zell mused, reaching out and lightly jabbing the back of my head. _

_I abruptly turned to face him. "Quit that!" I snapped. _

_"Okay, okay. Just kidding. I'll behave," Zell replied as innocently as he could, which, of course, was not very convincing. A wide, goofy grin was spread across his face. Dropping the matter, and with nothing better to do anyway, I turned back to my food and focused on the Headmaster's address just in time to catch the last few points._

_"...therefore, some of the pupils will have to adjust their quarters to accommodate the incoming students. For those concerned, whom I have personally selected, you will receive your room assignments momentarily." After a short pause, "That will be all for now. Thank you for your kind attention."_

_Soon afterwards, we filed out of the cafeteria. I entered my room at the dorm area and flicked on my laptop to check for mail. I gazed blankly at the screen, partly in disbelief, for a moment when I found one from the Headmaster himself. ___

__

_Office of the Headmaster_

_Balamb__Garden___

_Mr. Leonhart,_

_ This room is to be used by one of the new students. Please transfer all belongings to room 3-A by tomorrow evening._

_"This is just great..." I muttered, running a hand across my brown hair. I __was one of the few students who had individual quarters; most of the others had roommates. For this, I considered myself fortunate, as I wouldn't have to put up with anyone. 'I hope that isn't going to end now.'_

_I shut down the terminal, gathered my belongings, not that there were that many, and, putting them in my black leather backpack, set off for 3-A, bag slung over one shoulder and gunblade case - gunblade encased within - in one hand._

_I opened the door of the room indicated, which I found to be several corridors away from where I had come from. The inside looked simple enough...though a bit more elaborate than my previous one. One bed, a desk and a wall shelf were the only notable furnishings. A window revealing a spectacular view of the shore outside adorned the wall opposite the entrance. A computer terminal much like the one I had just used sat on the desk. 'No wonder, though, each room has one.'_

_I set my things down and began to arrange them._

_'...well, at least I still don't have a roommate.'_

**_End of flashback:_**

At that point, I began to wonder why those students were being sent to this Garden. Sure, we had the most advanced and sophisticated technology and facilities compared to the other two, and trainees did have somewhat of an advantage, but this was the first time that exceptional students from the other Gardens were being sent here for the sole purpose of getting better training. I mentally kicked myself for not paying more attention to the headmaster's statement yesterday.

Another thing, why transfer the other students' quarters to accommodate them? That also seemed odd...

'_Cid, what are you up to...?_' I thought as I finally dozed off.


	4. Balamb

**CHAPTER 3**

Balamb

When I opened my eyes the next day, sunlight was already streaming into my window. '_What time is it?_' I wondered, gazing at my alarm clock.

I found myself waking up at nine o'clock.

Problem was, I had a class at eight.

"I'M LATE!"

I fell out of bed and onto my face.

'_Guess I'd forgotten to set the alarm last night_,' I thought, getting up and rubbing the bump on my head. I glanced momentarily at my desk and found my lamp still switched on. '_Guess I'd also forgotten to turn this off..._' I moaned, flicking the switch of the appliance.

I hurriedly attired my navy blue SeeD candidate uniform, grabbed my stuff and rushed for my second-floor classroom, running as if my life depended on it. I crashed into other students as I sprinted through the hallways. Quistis was very amiable, but even I knew better than to make her mad. Berserk doesn't even begin to describe her when she gets mad sometimes, plus there was the fact that she seldom let latecomers off easily.

Finally, in what seemed like record time, I reached my destination. I slowed and entered the door of the classroom, mentally preparing myself for whatever awaited me inside.

The instructor, Quistis Trepe, was sitting quietly at her desk. This struck me as weird, since she usually paced the room during her lectures and her voice could be heard clear across as she spoke. Her face showed a hint of concern when she watched me enter, probably because I did have quite a few painful-looking bruises and an overall shabby appearance. She said nothing, and only nodded me to my own seat after handing me the day's exam.

'_Oh, yeah, today's two-hour test. Good thing I decided to review before going to sleep last night. I'd forgotten all about it._' I thought confidently, breathing a sigh of relief. I dashed to my place and started scribbling answers onto the sheet.

I fixed myself up as best I could after the papers were collected sometime afterward; as I realized that my classmates were beginning to throw peculiar looks at me. By the end of the period, when all the papers were returned after being checked, I found myself getting the highest score, despite my tardiness. I looked around and was only barely able to suppress myself from showing any signs of amusement after observing the horrified expression Zell wore as he viewed his own paper.

"Mr. Leonhart, Mr. Dincht, Ms. Gerin, please stay after class," Quistis announced just as the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day.

When the other students had left the room, Quistis, as was usual, dropped her instructor mannerism and, turning to us, said in a rather enthusiastic voice, "Now, what say we go to Balamb town for lunch and to get some stuff needed for the welcoming party next week?"

As my two companions started cheering, all I could muster was a halfhearted, "I'd rather not, instructor..."

Quistis looked at me mock-menacingly. "You'll have to come too, Squall. That will be your punishment for being late," she stated, quite matter-of-factly.

I slowly nodded. "And, by the way, very well done on that test. Once again, you've proven to be my best student," she continued, beaming.

"Thank you, instructor," I managed modestly.

"Please, don't call me that when we're not in class. I'm only about a year older than you so no Ma'am or anything too. Quistis is fine," she replied, her smile now awkward. She was, as was obvious, quite uncomfortable with all the formalities.

_'Whatever...'_

After finally silencing Zell, with a little help from Lori, Quistis announced, "All right, everyone meet up by the front gate in an hour. It's ten o'clock now, so at about eleven? Oh, and you may also wear civilian attire, since this isn't actually an official activity. We're just kind of helping out the festival committee."

"Yes, **instructor**," the two students said in unison, obviously teasing our elder companion, who just smiled amusingly despite herself. As the group of three exited, chatting and laughing, I too left for the dorms.

I put on my usual clothes - white shirt, black slacks and jacket. After changing and properly tidying up in my room, I passed by the cafeteria for a snack on my way to the appointed place, since I didn't have any breakfast yet and my stomach was growling. '_I still have thirty minutes anyway_.' I went in and got a hotdog after waiting in line for sometime.

Upon stepping out a few minutes later, after finishing my snack and disposing my trash, Zell came running in and dashed straight to the counter. He had on his trademark black T-shirt, black-and-red jacket and blue shorts.

"Hotdog...please..." he said, panting.

"Sorry, we're all out. Better luck next time, Zell," the lady at the counter replied.

"Shoot! Not again..." Zell moaned and shuffled out the cafeteria. That was when he noticed me..."Hey, Squall! Hey, good for 'ya back there on that test, man. It was really killer. By the way, what 'cha doin' here?"

"Breakfast," I replied rather plainly.

"Well, that would make a lot of sense, seeing as it's nearly lunchtime," he remarked sarcastically, laughing. "So, what say we go over to the front gate? The girls might be there already, can't keep them waiting."

"Whatever..."

We made our way to the main hall and down to outside and the gate, Zell rambling on and on about fighting techniques, Combat King, the canteen hotdogs and how much fun we were going to have later. I just walked on, not paying much attention. He didn't seem to notice anyway.

Upon arriving there, we saw no sign of our expected party. Zell glanced at his wristwatch, "Well, it's still only eleven. They're probably on their way."

Ten minutes passed...

"I'm gettin' hungry..." Zell complained, pacing around.

...then fifteen...

"Man, my feet're getting sore," as he sat on a ledge beside the gate.

...twenty...

"What the heck's taking them?"

It was half past eleven and still they didn't show up.

"They're really late," Zell said, rather irritated. His expression, which was bright, jovial and downright animated just sometime ago, had turned into a totally annoyed one. "I hope Quist's got a good excuse. Hey, and speaking of being late, if you don't mind," he continued, now facing me and speaking in a more lighthearted tone, "you're usually never late, dude, especially for classes. Why the delay anyway?"

"It's none of..." I started.

"...my business. Heh, thought you'd say that," he finished dryly. "You sure can be moody sometimes, know that? Hmmmmpf...where **are **they," he wondered aloud, now sounding a bit worried. He scanned the length of the path back to Garden. "Oh! There they are!" he said, waving to the approaching people. I turned my head to see. _'Took them long enough...'_

Sure enough to his word, Quistis and Lorraine were walking towards us. Quistis had her favorite clothes on, a tan-colored blouse, its long sleeves cut off, with matching knee-long skirt. Lorrie wore a simple sky-blue shirt and faded jeans.

With them was another person who I recognized as well, Xu, one of Quistis' buddy SeeDs. Although she didn't hang out with our little group that much, we knew her quite well and were good friends with her and another co-SeeD, Nida, who I guess was still on-duty as he wasn't around. I was actually surprised to see her here, as she supposedly had a prolonged major SeeD assignment.

"What the heck took you guys so long! Me and Squall've been waiting here for half an hour now!" Zell blurted in a way I couldn't identify as genuinely angry or simply over-exaggerating, when the girls finally reached us. I actually thought thirty minutes wasn't that long a wait.

"What!" Quistis sounded just as excited as Zell. She looked at her watch and realized the situation. "Oh! We're very sorry, you two. And this whole while I thought it was still a little before eleven!"

"I tried to tell you, Quis," Lori said in an I-told-you-so tone of voice.

Quistis laughed. "I guess we got kind of carried away. Xu here just got back from her assignment and had finished reporting to the Headmaster."

As if on cue, Xu stepped forward and saluted us. She wore her SeeD uniform, which gave her an air of authority. "It's really nice to be back here again. I can't believe it's been almost a year now! So how're you guys doing?" she asked pleasantly, facing my spiky-haired companion and me.

"How're we doing? You kidding? Classes really rock! They've never been more fun and 'sides, kicking ass in the 'center is totally way cooler than just sittin' in a boring classroom all day, reading **boring** books and listening to **BORING** lectures," Zell said enthusiastically, his entire disposition shifting to happy-mode again.

For a second, I thought I noticed a spark of wrath in Quistis' sapphire eyes. "Hey, no offense, Quis," Zell quickly exclaimed, raising his hands to emphasize his apology. He probably also noticed the instructor's reaction. Lori burst out laughing and Quistis followed suit soon after.

I simply saluted back, "Fine, thank you."

Xu giggled and brushed the strands of dark brown hair that fell on her face. "I see you two haven't changed a bit ever since I left."

"Anyway, me and Lorrie here kinda thought she might want to come along with us. Would that be okay with you guys?" Quistis asked. All three ladies looked at us expectantly.

"Sure! Why not? The more the merrier, right? What say, Squall? C'mon, man! It'll be fun!"

I folded my arms and sighed. "Whatever..."

Zell slammed his fist in the air. "Alright! Now let's go, dudes, it's almost high noon!"

We made our way out the gate and decided to walk to Balamb. The town wasn't that far, we all actually didn't fit in just one car and none of us wanted to spend any money to rent anyway.

We strolled in two's. Well, my companions did, at least. Zell and Lorraine talked excitedly in the lead, and Qu and Xu (as Zell fondly remarked) caught up on old times. I hung back and sauntered, watching...more the landscape than my companions.

_The natural scenery in the Balamb region was certainly a sight to behold. Not exactly breathtaking, but deeply moving nonetheless, though most people tend to take it for granted. 'Perhaps living with all the conveniences of modern life has made one prone to overlook what was essentially beautiful. How typical...sad, indeed, yet typical.' With only one glance at the Garden, prominent as it was in the midst of all the natural surroundings, you'd probably come to realize how far we've gone, how complex life has now become. _

_The nearby beach displayed a relaxing atmosphere. __The pure, cerulean waters crashing against the fine grains of sand...the sky overhead radiantly azure and clear, stretching as far as the eye could see..._

_'Wait a minute...now where have I...? Oh...yeah...the dream I had the other night...' It flashed again in my mind's eye, the serenity and peace at first, and then the horror that ensued. I cringed at the thought and shook my head._

_'It was just a dream...' _

I looked up and saw the thatched rooftops of the Balamb villas.

_'Balamb...' How many times have I set foot in the town? Numerous have they been so that I cannot remember the exact figure. Nevertheless, this didn't prevent the simple fascination of a most relaxing and comfortable atmosphere, one that could only come from this place, from affecting me to the fullest, as it had done all those times before. The simple, uncomplicated lifestyles of its inhabitants, as well as the extreme hospitality, give the town the makings of a perfect getaway, but its overall layout and infrastructure, highly organized yet at the same time very homely, proved otherwise. This definitely was not a resort town, and fortunately, people from the other shores got that message loud and clear. Perhaps the nearby military academy was also a factor in the matter..._

_'We should all be so lucky...'_

I had just snapped out of my thoughts when Zell spoke up. We were nearing the town entrance and he was starting to go hyper again.

"What say we go chow down at the Balamb hotel before hittin' the stores? The grub there's pretty awesome," Zell announced when we neared the entrance to town. "Then maybe we could stay for dinner at my house with ma," he continued, rubbing his hands together and licking his chops.

The others laughed. "Don't you ever think of anything else besides fighting and eating?" Quistis teased. It did seem that way at first, but Zell was indeed serious when the situation called for sobriety.

He shrugged and walked on. "You know me, Quis. I exist for the funner things in life. Which reminds me..." he said, making a face and showing us his fists, "I need to get new gloves. These ones're kinda worn-out. Hm...I know! You can buy me a pair, Quis! This little outing was your idea anyway..." Then, laughing loudly, he began to run into the town, away from the instructor, who took out a whip, her weapon of choice, and, chasing him, shouted in a playful manner, "Oh yeah! Come back here, Zell Dincht, or you'll have to replace more than your gloves!" Xu and Lori joined in both the laughter and the pursuit.

I just shook my head and strolled to the Balamb entrance, grinning ironically.

Balamb, the seaside town, wasn't exactly very big. In fact, it was somewhat dwarfed by the nearby Garden, but what it lacked in size it more than made up for in its simple charm. Unpretentious yet comfortable-looking marble houses lined the main street quite near the town gates, and an occasional shop arose here or there before the road branched. To the right were a couple of more shops and a train station, from where SeeD assignments bound for Timber or some other nearby town would embark. The hotel and a harbor were found to the left end. It was in this dock where the Garden would launch ships bound for either the SeeD exam or a mission. _'Why couldn't Garden just have a train station or pier of its own?'_ I often wondered...

My companions stopped at one of the houses. Zell hollered, "Anyone home!"


	5. Zell Dincht

**CHAPTER 4**

Zell Dincht

"That you, son? Be right down in a minute..." a voice came from inside. _'That would be his mom perhaps. No wonder...Balamb **is** Zell's hometown, and I guess this is his house.' _

I stepped inside after the others had gone in and stood beside the door for a while, observing the layout of the inside._ 'Hm...Not very furnished...quite homely...it kind of reminds me of my own room...very dirt-free...kind of cluttered, though...' _Indeed the place was spotless, but was also beset with odd items that were scattered about, most being bundles of newspapers, magazines and old books. 

"Welcome home, son! It's been some time since you last visited," she said excitedly, hugging and kissing her son. 

"Aw, ma. I'm really glad to see you too. Oh yeah, by the way," he said gesturing to us, "My buddies over at Garden. Meet Quistis, Xu, Lorraine and Squall over there by the door." 

Ma Dincht turned to us and greeted. "Oh, how nice to meet you all. We're really sorry if the house's a mess. Please, please have a seat. You know, I really wasn't expecting anyone to come by at the moment, but you're welcome to visit anytime. Zell, sonny, please tidy up in here...Oh! You poor dears must be hungry. I'll go fix up some lunch..." she said, disappearing into the kitchen, her mouth rattling off like a thousand bombs self-destructing one right after the other. _'I guess she's really excited to see her son again after a long time...' _

"Oh well, guess we're having lunch here and supper over at the hotel then..." Zell's voice faintly sounded from behind a pile of magazines he was carrying up the stairs.

I headed for one of the stacks. "I'll help..." I offered, picking it up and making my way to the staircase. It was the least I could do for their hospitality.

"Thanks!" came a call from above. As I ascended the flight of steps, I noticed the two SeeDs enter the kitchen and offer to assist Mrs. Dincht, who gratefully accepted. Lorrie got up from her seat and walked to another heap of stuff. I just shrugged and continued my task.

The only room on the second floor looked to be Zell's, as a punching bag hung from the ceiling on the far side. It was hard to tell whether the room hasn't been used in a long time, as it was as dust-free as downstairs but a lot of stuff was lying here and there on the floor. I dropped my cargo on the somewhat neatly kept bed, right beside where Zell had put his. 

"It's been some time...Ma really tidied up here, even though I told her to keep everything as it was...oh well..." Zell said, looking around the room. Faint voices could be heard downstairs. "Ma's pretty noisy, huh. Don't bother, though. She's always been like that since dad left for somewhere. Heck, that was a long, long time ago..."

"She's really happy to see you again. Even you haven't been home for a long time..." I began. 

            A small, wobbly voice came from the door. "Um...where...do I...put this...?"

            "Whoa! Don't tell me you carried that many books up here all by yourself..." Zell rushed over to Lori and took the pile of books, which looked only as tall as the ones he and I carried up. As he placed it neatly beside the others on the bed, I moved a chair towards the young lady, who sat slowly and whispered a grateful "Thank you, Squall". I smiled slightly and nodded in response.

            Zell approached, his eyebrows knitted together. "Now Lorraine, you know better than to push yourself too hard." 

            "I'm sorry to have worried you two. I just wanted to help out...and, you know, with all the training lately, I thought I could..." her voice was tense, maybe because of her earlier effort. "By the way, Zell, um, this place is..."  

            Zell cut her off. "Oh, yeah! Heck, 'scuse me for forgetting...*ahem*...please, enjoy the show." He ran to the other end of the area and executed a series of punch-kick combinations on the punching bag. He then did a small backflip and landed on a space beside the bed. "Welcome to my room!" he proclaimed, grinning widely. "Heheheh...I've always wanted to do that...too bad Quistis and Xu aren't here..."

            Zell's display was simply amusing. Even I had to elicit a chuckle, but with my head hung down in an attempt to hide it. Lorrie laughed, "It's nice to see that you've been keeping at your training."

            "That? Aw, it was nothin'. Heck, bet I could do it with my eyes closed!" he bragged. Cocky as it sounded, I really was inclined to believe that it could be done.

_            'Heck, the guy's done weirder things during training...'_

            "Now REALLY!" Lori scowled teasingly, responding to Zell's dare. Still, I couldn't help but notice some anxiety in her voice, as well as her composure, ever since she stepped into the house. 

            "So," she spoke up, "how long has it been since you last slept here?"

            "Lessee...hmmmm...I've been visiting quite frequently but...I'd say almost a year back, during the last vacation."

            "Wow...that long, huh? Your parents must've been rather worried..."

            "Heheh...actually, it's only Ma who stays here. It's been that way since Pa left for, um, aw heck! I keep forgetting to ask Ma. Anyway, that's what she tells me ever since I was a kid."

            "Gosh, I'm sorry..." she replied softly, caressing his hand with her own slowly, almost instinctively, and then withdrawing all of a sudden.

            "Aw, don't be," Zell shrugged. "Like I said, that was a long time ago. What's important is now, right?"

            Lori smiled and nodded.

            We then began looking around the room while Zell transferred the piles of paper into a cabinet. The room was typically...Zell. Posters adorned the walls, save for the one with the large window; a computer unit, as well as little action figures, lined a desk in one corner of the room; and books were scattered throughout the immediate floor.

            _'Like mother, like son...'_ I was a little envious, actually, since Zell did have at least one parent still...with him...alive...

_            'Enough...' _I shook my head and regained my composure just as Lori spoke up.

"Now let me try out my training..." she announced as she spotted a dartboard behind the door while looking around. "It's a good thing I brought my darts with me. Um, that is, if you don't mind..."

            "Be my guest." Zell offered, "Supper's still gonna be awhile, I think."

_            'Now this should be interesting...'_

            She nodded, took out her throwing darts, her weapon of choice during battles, and took aim. Her stance was perfect; her arms primed and ready to hurl the deadly projectiles at her target; she took a deep breath before starting. In one swift and graceful, four darts were sent whizzing to the board. She twirled again, and five more shot through the air. One more spin and eight were launched all at once. And with a mere flick of her hand, the final four hit their target. After a short pause, Lori then faced us and took a small bow. 

            We looked at her, dumbstruck, then to the dartboard. Zell then grinned and ran to check out how her throws went. I too strode quickly to see. He shouted out in amazement. "Wow! You got a dart in the triple of each number, and even one in the very middle of the bulls-eye!!!"

            "Told you I've been practicing..." Lori blushed slightly. 

            Zell laughed. "Guess so. I wish we could get a picture of this before taking the pins down. Now where did I put that spare camera..." he then started rummaging through several drawers. Lori looked down and her blush deepened all the more; she was obviously uncomfortable with all the praise being given her. 

            "Hey!" I called out. 

            "Um, yeah?" she timidly replied, raising her nervous gaze.

            "Good accuracy." I smiled and nodded. "Keep up the training." I added, turning back to what I still considered a spectacle hanging at the door.

            An even softer "thanks" was the only audible response.

            "Yo, Squall. What's with the instructor bit? You kinda sound like Quis...Ah! Here it is!" Zell cried out triumphantly. "Is there...? Alright! Batteries're good and Ma didn't take the film out yet." He then quickly focused and snapped a photo of the board, which, in my opinion, was highly unnecessary. "Another one for the record..."

            The door swung open and a brown-haired woman looked in. It happened all so suddenly that Zell, who was standing near the entrance, jumped back in surprise. "C'mon, guys. Lunch's ready. Hey, nice room, Zell." She only stayed a second, leaving just as quickly as she had come.

            "Isn't that just like Xu..." Zell mused, chuckling. "Well, then. It's CHOWTIME!!! Last one down's a big, ugly, chubby chocobo!" He threw the camera on the bed and started racing downstairs, followed by an equally anxious Lorrie. 

I took one last look around the room and then left as well, closing the door behind me.


	6. Acceptance

**AUTHOR'S NOTES aka RANDOM RAMBLING (part 2):**

Firstly, a very **big **thanks to Angel of the Lion for the first review!!! (WHEE!!! Fireworks going offHeheh... ) Seriously, thanks a LOT!!! Um, yup, this is gonna be a Squall/Rinoa fic, but also some Irvine/Selphie, Zell/Lori and maybe Seifer/Quistis (if it's gonna work out...I'm not really sure how, though...so all you Seiftis fans out there reading this, if any, keep yer fingers crossed...)

Thanks to Miriya-chan too for reviewing, and for encouraging me to put this fic up, and for some ideas for elements in the story. Many thanks!!! Well, I plan to include Seifer in there not too far off, and I'm already getting BIG ideas for his entrance (and a really bad-ass one at that...)

Please forgive if updates don't come too often...I made the mistake of uploading a LOT of chapters (all 5 & 1/2 months of work too soon...). My Comparative Anatomy studies have been keeping me busy almost 24/7!!! The next few weeks are gonna be hell coz of all the exams we're having...but I do make time to add even a little bit (1 or 2 words) to the fic everyday.

Please review. Well, I'm not forcing you guys to, but these things really help boost one's morale, as I've learned through experience (the first reviews ).

And now the continuation...

****

**CHAPTER 5**

Acceptance

It had been three hours since we left the marble house. I walked slowly along the concrete path, as did my companions, for lunch had been no less then a grand, delicious feast! Even after over an hour, we still felt pretty stuffed. It really wasn't in my nature to consume so much food but Ma Dincht kept adding more to my plate, and it was difficult to refuse, considering all the trouble she went through to prepare. I was sure that my colleagues also experienced the same, with the exception of Zell, who was, as always, more than ready to gobble up whatever was served. Perhaps the only things keeping him fit were the rigid training sessions at Garden and his very own hyper attitude.

"You know, we really should come eat at Zell's place more often. Lunch was delicious!" Our blond-haired professor commented, half-teasing.

"No problem! I'm sure Ma'd be more than happy to have guests," our earlier host exclaimed, markedly thrilled with the idea. "And then in no time at all, you'll be as big as big as a whale, won't you, Quis? With the way you've been eating back there..."

"Well, I suppose we did prepare a bit much...at the insistence of Mrs. Dincht, though," Xu replied, laughing slightly.

Our other female companion who had said nothing since after lunch, and had been walking as if in a trance, all the while clutching at Zell's arm, finally spoke up. "Hey, here's a weapon store. Um, Quis, could we just pass by here for a while? I guess Zell does need a change of gloves..."

Zell's face lit up. "Great idea! What say, Quis? C'mon."

"Well, alright. But if you're going to buy anything, Zell Dincht, use your own money. What I brought with me happens to be from the Festival Committee's fund. I am not making any IOU's, you hear?"

"No problem! You didn't think that I'd meant what I said while back, did 'ya? Sheesh! I was only kidding then!" he shouted back as he ran, along with Lorraine and Xu, towards the said shop. Quistis and I stayed behind and walked slowly.

"They still really act like kids..." she sighed, "Well, with one exception." She added giddily, turning her head to face me.

"Problem...?" I asked impassively, my dark cobalt eyes peering blankly and meeting her light blue ones out of the corner of my view.

"Well...not really, but don't you find it just a little bit strange?" she closed her eyes and bowed her head as we walked in the early afternoon sun. At that moment she seemed more...mature...than I would ever have imagined.

I sighed heavily. "I don't really care..." I coldly replied.

The professor chuckled. "I just KNEW you'd say that..." she turned to me and flashed a charming smile that would have sent one of the Trepies back at the Garden straight to the highest cloud nine in paradise. I admit even I was flabbergasted for a while. "Funny...after all these years, I think I'm beginning to understand you as a person, both as a student and as a friend, no matter how deep you seem to be." she added thoughtfully, now staring vacantly at the road ahead, her smile fading just a little.

_'How would you know?' _I started to feel just a little annoyed.

"Hm...how could I know? C'mon, we do spend a lot of time with each other. I'm sure even Zell and Lori have figured at least something out as well."

I stared at my companion in bewilderment, one eyebrow raised. _'Now how in the world...'_

"Problem?" It was her turn to ask, this time in a significantly more concerned tone of voice.

"No...it's nothing..." I replied with a wave of my hand.

She giggled once more. "You know, you look really cute when you do that."

This time I just sighed heavily, folded my arms and hung my head in response.

"Oh, sorry," she said, trying to hide another snicker. "I guess you don't like to be called that..." Her voice now was very much more serious. "...but it's true, though. You're good-looking, smart, sometimes funny, even when you don't mean to be, somewhat lonely, though usually devoid of any emotion whatsoever, you have good leadership qualities and a dark and mysterious but overall positive aura..." her voice trailed off and she murmured something under her breath.

"And, what?" my curiosity somehow got the better of me.

"Oh...it...it's nothing, really..." she stammered, suddenly waking from her own reverie.

_'Whatever...'_ I let the matter drop as I noticed we had reached the place our companions were in, a seemingly old-fashioned, run-down weapon store, its stone walls and ceiling worn and aging compared to the marble community we had just come from. I pulled open the door and motioned courteously for Quistis to enter. She managed to regain most of her usual cheerfulness by now and she smiled amiably at me as she stepped in. Our other companions were looking around and probably didn't notice us come in.

Shabby as it seemed, the shop's collection of weapons was amazing. Swords, guns, gloves and even sickles of several kinds adorned the shelves and walls of the somewhat cramped arsenal. Even a gunblade was present, but it was of the same model as mine, so an upgrade wasn't necessary.

"Hey, guys!" Zell called out when he noticed our presence.

"Hey yourself," Quistis replied casually, "So, find anything yet?"

"Yeah! Just been waiting for 'em to finish the upgrade on my new metal knuckles." He gestured towards a door at the other end of the room. "Good thing I remembered to bring those M-stone pieces. Slipped my mind the last time. The fish fin's not as easy to forget, though." Lori had approached shortly after Zell did and was now giggling quietly, standing behind Zell.

"Get anything, Lori?" Quistis asked, still snickering at Zell's earlier remark. Lori nodded in reply. "Boomerang darts, so that I won't have to keep running after them and picking them up after every throw. It'll take some training to get used to, though."

"Really nice. But I hear those things are relatively expensive. Where...did..." Quistis shot a threatening glare at the spikey-haired guy, who answered quickly, "We didn't use the gil from the Festival Committee, Quis. Honest. 'Sides, I did have the sharp spike and some extra M-stone pieces."

"Then, I guess it's okay..." the instructor started.

Just then, a sinewy, somewhat old but also quite respectable-looking fellow of moderate height stepped out of an inner room, followed by Xu. "Well, here they be," he announced, "Oh, and thanks very much for your help, young lady," he added, nodding at Xu.

"It's no problem at all," was her cheery reply.

"COOL!" Zell was at the far end of the store in an instant, drooling over his new metal knuckles. Lori's reaction was far less intense, but she too was ecstatic about her own darts.

_'Quis was right. They do act like kids...'_

"Hey, let's try them outside!" Zell suggested. Lori just nodded and raced out right after him, laughing excitedly.

"Hey! Where do you think you're...aw, what the heck...!" Quistis shouted, also running out the door.

Xu sighed. "Boy, here we go again...oh, and thanks a lot again sir," she politely bowed before making her exit.

The old man began to laugh. "Well, well...it would seem the fiery spirit of youth is still very much alive in them kids, heh?" he remarked, a twinkle in his eye as he watched them leave. Then he noticed me still in the shop. "They're friends of yours, yeah?"

"You could say that..." I answered, not taking my eyes off the doorway.

"Quite the lively bunch, if I do say so m'self. Come to think of it, haven't seen that much excitement in quite some time now..."

"They're almost always like that."

"And you...?"

I closed my eyes, grinned sarcastically and slowly shook my head as I began walking out of the store.

He spoke up before I could get halfway through the room. "Trust is hard to come by nowadays, sonny, especially one so wholeheartedly given despite all our imperfections. You're very lucky, you know?"

I stopped and stared at the floor, my eyes still closed. I looked back on the more memorable times I've shared with what I still considered a rag-tag little group. After what seemed like no more than a minute, I finally turned my head and looked at the old geezer from the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, I suppose...thanks, old man," I smiled slightly and then nodded as I went on out of the store and in the direction of my friends somewhere outside.


	7. Overshadowed Excellence

**CHAPTER 6**

Overshadowed Excellence

_'Success comes not only with profit, but also with the knowledge that one has made others happy'._ I quietly read the motto on the wooden board hung on the shop door as our group made its way out carrying bags of stuff, my companions clearly weary from all the exertion throughout the day.

_'How true...'_ I thought, taking a small peek back inside. The place looked very happy, inside and out, as colorful decorations adorned all corners of the edifice and a more-than-ample stock of items of all kinds lined the shelves. Even the people running the store were exceptionally amiable. 

After only a second, I turned my attention back to the road ahead and once again stared into oblivion. The sun was barely above the horizon. Glancing at my wristwatch, I took note of the time, 6:49. 

Zell was, as was usually the case, the first to speak up. "And now...where?" 

"You were saying something earlier about treating us to dinner at the hotel near the docks...?" It was hard to tell if Quistis was tired, she didn't really sound like she was. 

"Oh yeah, now I rememb...HEY! I didn't say anything about..."

"Technically, Quistis," Xu cut in, "he did not say anything about dinner being his treat. And besides, we did have lunch over at their place..."

"Awww...why'd you have to go and spoil all the fun, Xu?" Quistis jokingly berated, making a face. "It's getting quite late already. What say we make that restaurant our last stop before heading back to Garden?"

"Fine with me," Xu agreed.

"Sure," Lori nodded.

"No prob," Zell shrugged.

"Whatever..."

"Well, it's settled then," Quistis concluded with an air of superiority that she was known for, and led the way to the pier and our destination, which was clearly visible from our current location.

It was an immense, elegant, blue-brick building, significantly larger than the already huge shop we had just come from, with an even cheerier atmosphere, but one not straying from what could still be considered "Balamb". Justifiably, though, considering this was a restaurant and a hotel at the same time.

"Hmm...this place's sure changed since last time. They really spruced it all up now. I could've sworn it was a tad smaller..." Zell uttered, scratching his head.

"Oh, you don't know?" Xu asked suddenly, somewhat taken aback by something.

"Wha...?! Know...no...what?!" An equally surprised Zell stammered back.

"Oh, you mean..." Both Lori and Quistis started to say, but Xu cut them both off.

"The big fire here several months back," the brown-haired SeeD narrated, "that consumed I guess the whole of this block, a gas tank blew up or something. I'm surprised to hear you know nothing of it." 

"Oh, that!!! Heh, and I thought you were talkin' bout somethin' else...er...but wasn't the blaze around the dock storage area over there?" Zell replied, pointing to the other side of the marina.

All my other companions blinked.

"Um, Zell, you DO read the paper, do you?" Quistis asked dryly.

"What? Didn't the news say the fire was at the docks?" Zell countered.

"It read 'Balamb hotel' in the second or third paragraph..." Quistis immediately pointed out. "And if you'd check e-news in your terminal once in awhile, you'd even see pictures."

"Heheheh...um...my bad," Zell scratched his head and bowed in defeat.

"Anyway, let's go in now. I'm rather hungry..." Lori finally spoke up, and we entered the restaurant.

The outside of the place did its interior no justice. What I imagined as a somewhat ritzy, spacious reception area turned out to be an immensely vast room, elegantly designed yet pleasing to the eyes. Golden chandeliers hung from the dome ceiling, expensive-looking pieces of furniture ornamented the room's spacious corners, and an air of extravagance, as well as of the same, traditional Balamb atmosphere, filled the entire place. All these only added to the effect that the place could have been a majestic castle of the olden times.

"It's...incredible..." Lori breathed. 

"I'll say..." Quistis was just as dumbfounded as the rest of us. 

"Aw, you haven't been here yet, huh?" Xu asked, a small hint of what seemed like sympathy in her voice. "Anyway, there's not too many people now. Let's go find a table," she continued, as we made our way to an even more decorative dining area. We sat at a table next to the window overlooking the dock, giving us a magnificent view of the calm, blue waters on the other side. 

"By the way, Xu," Zell asked out of the blue, "...just wanna know...how come you're back at Garden early? I heard that the job you got was major."

"Well, it so happened that the infamous elite squad from Galbadia Garden was sent to that same mission. The rest went like that." Xu explained, snapping her fingers at the end of her sentence.

"The Galbadian Elite Force? Funny...we didn't receive word from Galbadia about their deployment..." Quistis wiped her eyeglasses.

"Aren't they supposed to be incredibly skilled in SeeD work? They're often called the best squad in the entire organization!" Lori added.

"True," Xu replied flatly, "but if you ask me, that doesn't justify their attitudes one bit. The whole lot act so arrogant, it's irritating!" She sighed and looked out at the ocean once more. "But you have to admit, though, they do get the job done in an instant."

"Hey!" Zell shouted all of a sudden. "Why don't we make this a party of Xu's return from the SeeD mission?"

Xu turned abruptly back to us and started to speak. "Oh...that's not necess..."

"That's a great idea!" Quistis interrupted, slightly getting up and knocking the table a bit. "Oops...sorry. Anyway, c'mon Xu. It's not going to be a big celebration, just a special dinner."

Xu's brown eyes grew wide in surprise. "Well...um...I don't...know what to say..." The now-blushing SeeD stammered out. "...but...thanks guys. A lot." 

After giving our orders, we sat in silence for a while, simply staring out the window and enjoying the scenery. Oddly, no one uttered a word until our food arrived about five minutes later.

"Service here sure is fast," Zell mused before taking a bite. "Mmmm, amnd thme fmoodm's mdemlishmious tmoo."  

"Don't talk with your mouth full, silly." Lori warned, giggling a bit, everyone else burst into cheerful laughter. 

"A...hahah...ahem!" Quistis announced. "Might I propose a toast to Xu, for a successful SeeD mission!" 

"And also," Zell added, "for Balamb Town and all the good times!"

Lori followed. "For the upcoming welcome party..."

Xu was next. "Our dearest friends, who are all so very kind."

"To Garden..."

"CHEERS!!!"

Everyone burst into hearty laughter.

"Um, and who was going to pay for all this?" Lori asked.

"Don't worry a thing." The blonde SeeD remarked nonchalantly, "I see you sometimes forget about SeeD benefits. This dinner's free." Another round of cheers resounded throughout the hall.

An hour and a very pleasant supper later, we strolled out the hotel and began making our way back to Garden. The trip was uneventful, even through the darkness of the night when monsters were supposed to be wandering about the most. 

Another memorable trip to this place filed in the recesses of memory...


	8. Acquaintances

**A/N: **Hello, all. Hm…how many MONTHS has it been? I am so incredibly SORRY for the immensely lengthy delay in updating…my PC's been down for the past few months and I've been doing all my typing on either an old laptop of my mom's…or at school, both where I can't possibly upload to the net. It's sad, really. But HEY, I've got a brand spanking new PC, and am just itching to get this up. Again, I'm VERY SORRY for the delay. (Ahem…as you can see, I've been practicing making smaller author's notes…heheh…new and improved style!).

Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

**------------------------------- **

**CHAPTER 7**

Acquaintances

I yawned and stretched lazily, glancing at my digital clock to find out it was a little after twelve noontime. Gazing out my window and staring once more to the ocean outside finally made me remember what day it was.

_'Right, tonight's the welcome party...' _I thought as I watched the gentle waves of the waters not too far away. I was still very much sleepy and wanted to return to bed, but seeing that it was already noon made me decide to finally start the day.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I ambled along the corridors of Garden on the way to the Quad, only stopping by the cafeteria for a quick meal. Last night had been hectic; most of us stayed up until the wee hours of morning getting the Quad ready for the big event.

_"Chalk up another mess for the Festival Committee..." a student remarked during the previous night, referring to the committee's inability to function effectively, that is, cramming all the work and decision-making until the very last second, as well as neglecting the maintenance of its domain, the Quad._

Suddenly, the cafeteria doors burst open and a blur sped towards the counter.

"Hotdog...please..."

"Awfully sorry, son. We've just run out. Better luck next time...again."

"...dang it. Well then, I'll settle for a burger...make that two. I'm really hungry right now."

After paying for his food, Zell looked around the place before spotting me then heading over to my table.

"Well, look who I bump into again here...so," he laughed, taking a seat, "...sleep well?"

"Hardly..." I murmured, rubbing my forehead.

He shrugged, "Don't blame 'ya. Those Festival freaks had us workin' 'till about three in the morning! I mean, who'd have thought the Quad still needed that much work?"

I shrugged back, quietly eating breakfast...and lunch.

"Anyways," he continued, "seems like today's also gonna be hell hectic. With those, what did they call 'em...special students...comin' around, this place's been a lot livelier than it's been in years, huh?"

"Suppose so..."

"...you're not a very good conversationalist, y'know? Ah, never mind..." Zell remarked as he popped the last piece of burger into his mouth. I was finished as well, so we soon stepped out of the cafeteria and walked to the Quad. Although the Balamb corridors weren't all that complicated, traversing from one end to the other did take some time and effort. We got to our destination after about five minutes.

Indeed, the Quad seemed several times busier than before. Students and SeeDs, most of them members of the Festival Committee itself, were busy setting up the place for the welcome party and dinner only several hours away. The banisters of the stone stairs leading to the main area of the Quad were decorated with lace and ribbons, while the stairs themselves were draped with red carpets. The floor and the walls of the main hall were polished marble, exceptionally burnished yet not the least bit slippery; the dome ceiling is made of fifteen-inch glass but is still able to clearly reveal the outside sky; and the pillars supporting the immense structure were of a complex mythril-diamond alloy, when struck by moonlight, emitted a soft, yet beautiful, slightly off-white, glow. Several crystalline lamps hung from the walls at set intervals, effectively illuminating the entire hall. A somewhat shoddy, makeshift stage occupied the far area opposite the entrance; what resembled a buffet table took the space near the left wall; and tables and chairs were scattered all over the center part of the hall, making the place look like an unorganized restaurant of sorts.

Fortunately, most of the major cleaning had been done the previous night, and all that was needed were the final arrangements and finishing touches. Unfortunately, there still seemed to be a lot of work to do. Zell and I sighed as we walked towards the main hall.

"Well," he said, cracking his knuckles, "you ready?"

"Whatever..."

The rest of the afternoon was spent helping the Festival Committee decorate the Quad. Thankfully, it was all over only by about six o'clock, two hours before the guests would be expected to arrive.

Looking at the hall from the Quad's entrance gave a magnificent view of a job well done. The scene somewhat reminded me of Balamb hotel, but this one had a more welcoming atmosphere. The dining area now looked very well arranged; and the stage, which, according to one of the Festival Committee event organizers, will also serve as a "dance floor", glimmered with all the decors and lights put up.

"Well, it wasn't that bad..." Zell mused somewhat exhaustedly, guzzling down some water. "...I mean, we were faster than last time...and now the Quad really looks awesome!"

"So there you are..." a melodic voice sounded from outside the Quad entrance not too far from our sitting place at the top of the stairway, "I've been looking all over Garden for you guys!"

"Didn't I tell 'ya 'while back we'd be helping out at the Quad, Lorraine?" Zell asked, raising his voice somewhat and looking a little surprised.

"Oh gosh, I'm really, really sorry Zell. I guess I was kind of caught up between my part-time librarian job and the excitement of tonight's party..." she softly and hurriedly replied, looking down in what seemed like embarrassment.

"Aw, no worries, no harm done," Zell apologized quickly, getting up and placing a hand on her shoulder. Sometimes dealing with Lori was like dealing with an extremely timid child, but, foolhardy as he was, Zell was actually very good at it. I thought for a moment on telling her to be more assertive and to take things in stride, but I decided against the idea, figuring that a sermon right now would definitely not be appropriate.

Lori gradually snapped out of her stupor and gave us an assuring smile. "Thanks...oh, and speaking about the party, Quistis volunteered us to be the newcomers' guides, or something like that. Anyway, the bottom line is that they're going to be hanging out with us and we're going to show them around Garden and stuff like that."

I looked at her questioningly. "Is this necessary?"

She lightly scratched her cheek. "I'm not too sure myself. It is kind of strange that the whole thing seems so formal and all...maybe for purposes of orderliness?"

"That makes some sense." Zell said, leaning on the banister. "I mean, what if they turned out to be really a cute-looking bunch, huh? Who'd know what would happen if every kid wanted to show 'em all around the place?"

"Zell, they're not celebrities..." Lori pointed out. "...but I guess that is a pretty possible scenario nonetheless."

I, for one, still wasn't totally convinced. "What does the headmaster say about this?"

"Well, the way Quistis told me the news, I'd say he was the one who came up with the entire 'guide' idea."

I folded my arms and stared blankly towards the Quad.

_'How surreal...' The entire affair certainly seemed that way. From the transfer of top students from all other Gardens to this one for what I believe are very shallow purposes, the rearranging of students' dormitory rooms, to the alleged need for guides for these people. Something was definitely up, and I suspect the Headmaster was behind everything. I've never known him to be actually evil; the man was actually very kind at heart, he even talks to students in his free time, but he had...strange...ways of doing things, especially those that he didn't want the general public to know about. This, my suspicions told me, was one of those things..._

_'Maybe I should go talk with Cid about this...'_

"Yo, Squall!" Zell effectively snapped me out of my thoughts by yelling almost into my ear and waving a hand right in front of my face. I shook my head and raised an eyebrow in his direction, acknowledging my attention.

"C'mon, man. The party's starting soon, and we've got to get ready."

"Got a lot on your mind lately, Squall?" Lori asked concernedly.

"He's ALWAYS got a lot on his mind..." Zell interrupted. I deftly elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch...hey! It's true!"

"It's nothing..."

The three of us made our way to the dorms. Stopping at the door to my own room, 3-A, I noticed my companions were still right behind me.

"This is your room?" Zell asked, surprise written all over his face.

I only nodded in response.

"No way! Mine's right here!" He said, pointing to the room adjacent to mine, that one marked 3-B.

"What a coincidence...!" Lori had the same tone of astonishment that Zell exhibited.

"You mean you're..."

"Here's my room..." She stopped at a door, marked 3-H, that was opposite the other room after Zell's. "...and that one is Quistis' room." She added, pointing to the room marked 3-F, opposite mine, where the hall begins.

"I'll be...meaning to say, that after all the room rearranging thing, we all ended up in the same place? Now that's really something!" Zell mused, scratching the back of his head.

_'Yeah...this is all too weird...'_

"Anyway," Lori interrupted, glancing at her wristwatch, "let's worry about that later, shall we? We've barely an hour and a half until tonight."

We entered our respective rooms and began preparing for the evening's events. Quick as I was, I stepped out into the hallway almost an hour later, neatly dressed in what I deemed most suitable for the event, since it had been hurriedly announced earlier that "either formal or semi-formal attire" be observed. I had first thought of skipping the event, I was never one to socialize, but given the circumstances, I figured that something interesting was going to happen. Not one to be flamboyant, I wore a simple black short-sleeved button-down collared shirt, black pants and black shoes; and, not planning to do any dancing and with my jacket in the wash, a black open trench coat was put on last.

Looking around, I observed nobody was in the wide hallway. Scuffling sounds and a blaring radio from the adjacent room told me Zell was still busy getting ready. I turned to face my own room and locked it shut.

At that moment, the door at the opposite site of the corridor opened, and a petite form stepped out. Her white, simple dress was not all that elegant, but it vividly reflected its owner's shy, gentle, somewhat childlike personality. Her usual pigtails were gone, replaced by long strands of dark brown hair that neatly fell over her shoulders. Light make-up pronounced her pretty features, making her barely resemble her usual self.

Lori then noticed me standing nearby. After locking her door, she strolled over to me. "Rather chilly tonight, huh..." She said, draping an auburn shawl over her shoulders. "All set?"

I merely nodded my reply, although a part of me wanted to berate. _'Isn't it obvious?'_

She giggled. "Well, I see Zell still isn't..." A popular rock tune reverberated from his quarters. "...he shouldn't take long...I mean, he would never miss a party, would he?"

I shrugged. "Guess so..."

Lori approached Zell's door and leaned on the wall right beside. She glanced once more at her wristwatch, this one a silver Rolex that nicely complemented her attire. "Well, we were quite quick. We do have an hour to spare. There's no rush."

Several minutes passed. I walked over to where the corridor began, and into the intersecting one, the main hallway that led outside the dorm area. Students mingled around the area, eagerly awaiting tonight's big event.

Even more time elapsed and still Zell remained in his room. Frowning as I glanced over his door, Lori perhaps noticed my impatience. "Why don't you go ahead, Squall? We'll catch up to you late..."

She was interrupted by the turning of the knob right beside her, and the wild swinging of a door flung open. Out marched a young man, his own maroon, button-down collared shirt and dark blue slacks giving him an almost stately appearance, which might have rung true - even only at that night - if not for his usual outrageous hairstyle, the bizarre tattoo that always marked his left cheek and the leather fighting-gloves he had on.

"Ready to go?" he hollered, and then looked about the corridor. When he spoke again his voice was a bit softer. "Wrong question, I guess...been waiting long?"

"Well..." Lori replied, "...we're about even, since the time you waited for us to go on our shopping trip a couple of days ago..."

"Sheesh, that long? Heh...sorry 'bout that. Anyways, how 'bout we get going? It's almost showtime!"

The immense Quad, specifically designed to accommodate each and every person in the entire Garden, only looked half-full by the time we arrived. A table was reserved for us near the stage area, though there was only a card there to greet us when we took our seats. Mellow harmony played in the background, through speakers attached to the walls and onstage. The atmosphere in the place was one full of excitement, mild yet intoxicating and moderately contagious.

More and more people entered the Quad as the hour drew near. While the sounds of noisy chatter and conversation seemed to grow with each minute, to me, all was silent. I, as always, drifted into silent contemplation, swirling a glass of red wine in my hand and staring blankly at nothing in particular.

_'Maybe I shouldn't have come...' Already I was having second thoughts about attending. All gatherings such as this weren't mandatory, including this one, and I've spent all the previous ones studying, or sleeping, in my room. All, that is, except for one, wherein I didn't even enjoy much..._

_But in the end, I stood with my resolution to stay and see this one through. I still couldn't shake the feeling that something really serious was afoot, a bigger scheme that wasn't ready to be let out in the open..._

The sudden announcement from the PA system was loud enough to silence the entire crowd and wake me from trance.

"Good evening to all junior students, SeeDs, SeeD candidates and faculty..." the voice of the Headmaster, Cid, boomed out, "...seeing that it is already eight and our guests have not yet arrived, for purposes of fairness and punctuality, we shall begin the festivities even in their absence. Be reminded that the schedule of events will consequently be rearranged so that the introduction ceremonies will be held later. The students will be coming in their own transports, as the other Gardens lack transport facilities and the only way to get here anyway would either be by train or boat to Balamb town, as you all probably know..."

_'Doesn't this guy ever run out of breath?'_

"...Well, I've just had word that the train from Galbadia area has been delayed, so our guests might arrive a little later. So, students, thank you all for attending this occasion. Furthermore, I would like to thank all those who participated in the beautification and preparation of the Quad. Well, I've rambled on enough...oh and please don't dance if you're full, lest you would prefer to have appendicitis. And now everyone, let the festivities begin!"

With that, the crowd gave a cheer, some gave sighs of "good thing that's over", and then the music and conversation resumed. While my companions got up and began dancing, I silently sat at the table, and took notice of the people who were entering, or leaving, the Quad. My glass was still half-full, and I took a sip from time to time.

About fifteen minutes passed, and still no sign whatsoever of any of the newcomers. Quistis had stepped in earlier, flair and élan radiating from her beautiful countenance and stunning attire. Headmaster Cid, with his slightly round form and small eyeglasses, entered also sometime ago, although I thought that his tuxedo was a little too formal. I had also spotted several other familiar faces pass the doorway. A span of time later, the ever-increasing wait began to irritate me slightly.

"So you finally decided to attend another gathering, huh?" Out of the corner of my eye I was able to notice Quistis approach before her words could startle me. I still sat, unmoving eyes fixed at the Quad entrance. The blue-eyed lady shooed off the flock of Trepies that began surrounding her and took a seat beside me. "Whew! This Trepie thing's kinda exhausting sometimes. I couldn't imagine no less than twenty guys, all the men in the whole club I think, asked me to dance with them!"

I smiled slightly and turned to face her as she spoke up again. "How about you, Squall? Aren't you going to ask me for a dance?" Her eyes lit up mischievously at the remark.

"...I'll pass..." I said flatly, although my tone hinted annoyance.

"Hey, I was just kidding. Lighten up, you're too uptight." she laughed, an amused expression replacing the one she had mere seconds before.

_'Maybe these characters aren't actually fit for formal occasions'_ I sighed and shrugged in reply to her. Putting the empty glass down, I finally stood up and headed for the exit.

"And just where are you going?"

"That's my business..."

"Well, okay. Just be back for the introductory part!"

_'If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't even be here...' _I mused as I passed rows of tables and stepped out of the Quad. Nobody was about in the now rather dimly-lit corridors; the entire place seemed deserted, all the way until outside, it seemed. It was like the only indications of life in the place were the echoes from the Quad. I decided to take a stroll in the open air, and took my gunblade from the dorms just in case of an encounter. I paused when I reached the console terminal, which displayed a map of Garden, though the device looked more like a jigsaw puzzle to those unfamiliar to this place.

"Cold...ah...finally...! Let's hurry!" A voice echoed from the far end of the corridor that led to outside. Light, quick footsteps followed soon after, and the figures of two ladies came into view, running towards my direction. They stopped for a short rest upon reaching the console terminal, and after a few seconds, one of them spoke up.

"H...hey, um, h...hi..." she was a petite girl, probably a few inches shorter in height than Lori, had brown, straight, neck-length hair and she spoke in a friendly, although tired, high-pitched voice. "We're from Trabia Garden...and...um...I guess you've been expecting us, huh? I'm Selphie Tilmitt and this is Emily Aegir." Her companion's hazel eyes looked up from behind long, deep black strands of hair that partly covered her flushed face. She was no taller than Selphie, and had on similar clothing as her partner - a warm jacket and baggy trousers.

"Only you two...?" I inquired after awhile, frowning a bit.

"Yep. We haven't seen the ones from Galbadia Garden, though, even on the train...aren't they here yet?" Emily asked. I only shook my head in reply.

"We left from Trabia something like yesterday evening, and now we're even late! But that's because our train was delayed." Selphie explained, and then began wandering her gaze across the place. "Gosh, this place looks huge...not at all like back in our Garden..." she marveled, "And what's that?" she asked, pointing to the terminal. I then proceeded to give them a short lecture on the console and a quick rundown of the different sectors of Balamb using the device.

"Party's at the Quad...there...no need to rush," I said, gesturing to the venue.

"Yeah, some sleepy old guy over by the entrance told us. Thanks a lot, um, what's your name...?" Selphie inquired.

"Squall..." I began to walk towards the Garden gates.

"Hey, aren't you coming with us?" Emily spoke up.

"You go ahead..."

"Okay, well, thanks again!" Selphie yelled before she and Emily began walking to the Quad.

I decided that taking my stroll outside was better than attending the introduction ceremony of two people I felt I knew all I needed to know of already. Besides, I wasn't really interested in the miniscule details they were to talk about there, no doubt.

The night air was indeed chillier than the usual. In the open-air path that led to the front gates, a slight mist of cold, condensed air began to form. The sky was black and a bit cloudy, but the moon still shone through clearly.

The area immediately outside Garden was a several-meter span of desolate, rocky soil. The region closer to both the beach and the town, which were to the north of Garden, both standing opposite its front face, was saturated with lush, green grass, probably due to the waters of the nearby ocean. Behind the military academy were several low hills, fashioned with the same ground as that of the barren. The sharp contrast of both sites, however, did little to separate the populace of both town and institution.

A nearby holler of "Hey!" broke the seemingly eternal silence, and was enough to awake me from dreaming. It was now that I, standing along the stretch of rocky earth, noticed a couple of people trudging towards Garden, one a little faster and several feet ahead of the other. Both of roughly the same height, the first had a cowboy hat on, and both wearing what seemed the same attire as I did - long trench coats and slacks. Still they neared. Now I could see their forms more clearly and somewhat perceive more detail as to how they looked. I also now noticed that they were visibly carrying their weapons, unlike the other two I ran into earlier. _'A shotgun, and a...gunblade.'_

The nearer of the two walked up to me. Somehow, he looked vaguely familiar. "Well, well. Strange for them to have the welcoming committee right out here in the cold, and a one-man group to boot!" He extended his free hand and I shook it rather impersonally, more as a mere gesture formality than an expression of welcome. He didn't seem to care. "Name's Irvine Kinneas. Hey, I remember you, kinda...since the last time I've been here..." His gaze now beheld the immense structure behind me, which lit up like a beacon in the night. The Galbadia and Balamb Gardens would often hold joint activities, since both were proximate, unlike Trabia, which was situated several hundred miles away. Galbadian students, and professors alike, would often visit Balamb to use facilities and the like, and vice versa, but the former would be the more usual scenario.

"The infamous experimental five-hour inter-Garden lecture and seminar on the entire Goddess War, almost two years ago..." I murmured almost robotically.

"Good memory! Hah...now that was really something, merging a few classes from both Balamb and Galbadia into one big one, then giving a monster lecture about history...I mean, what the heck could the admin have been thinking, pulling off a crazy stunt like that? It isn't surprising that the project was immediately scrapped. Anyway, the 'prof kept calling you to recite since everyone else either didn't know the answer, or was fast asleep. Even commended you really nice once or twice, didn't they? And boy, who could forget what happened after that lecture, huh?" He punched me lightly on the arm. "Squall, was it? So, how're you doing these days?"

"That's none of your business..."

"You still haven't changed a bit. Well, that's fine with me..." he said, giving a slight chuckle.

"So, Squall..." a blonde fellow stood a few steps behind, his narrow eyes displaying a glint of what seemed like loathing, his slightly tanned trench coat ruffling in the wind. He brandished his gunblade, which glistened from the reflections of Garden's lights. "I've heard a lot about you, buddy, from both my colleagues and the higher-ups since then. More of a genius, and more of a lone wolf they say you've become...but most interestingly, a more superb fighter. You are still unbeaten as of yet, I have heard, and with the so-called best gunblade skills anywhere. So..." he sneered, pointing his gunblade at me, "...care for a rematch?"

"Cut it out, will you, Seifer?" Irvine shouted, his tone being one that mingled between annoyance and amusement.

Nearly two years have gone by since our first meeting. It was shortly after the seminar those years ago. A cold and a mocking look exchanged, then little-less-than harsh and insulting words (most of them his), until there ensued a final showdown at the training center. Seifer Almasy was his name; that I remember well. Brash, arrogant, obnoxious, and someone I really didn't like, even if I ignored him. Only once in the past did our paths cross, but in that one meeting, so did the steel mettle of both our battle skills and deadly gunblades. The match did not last long, for a small group curiously gathered around the portion of the training center we called our battleground, and the professors called an end to it soon enough. The whole concern ended with a frustrating draw match and several months of detention and community service for me. I didn't know, or care, for that matter, the fate of the other.

"Tch!" he scowled, lowering his weapon. "Spoilsport..." He then began to roam about the area.

"Guess old rivalries die hard...for him..." Irvine said, after quickly apologizing for the misconduct of the other Galbadian student. He added after a short pause, "But believe me, I think you were winning then."

_'It had been too close to tell, but I could feel at that time a sense of advantage...' _I just shrugged.

"Tell me one thing, though, why'd you do it? You certainly don't look the type to go so far..."

"Had to..." My eyes narrowed as I recalled the events once more.

"Hmm...he's like that most of the time, you know, a real pain in the patella. It's really surprising he was assigned to the disciplinary committee back at Galbadia, and from what I hear, maybe also here, if you've got a disciplinary committee. I doubt it, though. I reckon it's a miracle we all get by with him and his two lackeys patrolling the halls. How 'bout you here? Been doing well?"

"I told you it's none of your damn business..."

"Alright, alright, I give up. You're sometimes just impossible to have a two-way conversation with. Well, I'll be heading to the Quad now...er...have you seen Seifer?"

I shook my head. Seifer was now nowhere in sight.

"Now where could he have gone to? Anyway, maybe he already went in, or something. Oh, you coming? Knowing your headmaster, I'd say the party's started already. C'mon, nobody else's gonna show up, I guess, unless the guys from Trabia aren't here yet."

"Nah, I'll be a little longer here..."

"Suit yourself. Just don't catch your death of cold, y'hear? See 'ya later!" He then tipped his hat and disappeared into the interior of Garden.

No more than two minutes passed after he had gone in ahead, I suddenly heard footsteps, just barely audible, somewhere nearby. _'Strange, everyone should be at the party by now...unless...' _I instinctively raised my gunblade and mentally prepared myself for anything that might jump out from the shadows.

A voice broke the tense silence. "Thought I'd gone in already? You're really foolish..."


	9. Skirmish

**A/N: Many, many, MANY thanks to Angel of the Lion for reviewing! And also check out her fics, especially "To Love the Enemy" and "Guardians of Fate"!!! (And I just love that small poem in the Profile…heheh) Here's another round of fireworks for you! **

*fireworks going off* I've got a LOT over here ^_^!!!

As for the chapter itself…well…finally, a fight scene!

On a side note, I don't even know if anyone cares, I just turned 18 couple of weeks ago! Jan 10! ^_^ Hooray for me!

Sorry, I'm just a little short on sleep now…anyways, that done, I guess I should present the next chapter…but keep in mind, though, that I do NOT own Final Fantasy! Don't sue! Emily Aegir is my own character, though, so there! ^_^ 

Enjoy!

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**CHAPTER 8**

Skirmish

"...to think I'd back down that easily…"

Seifer silently stepped out of the shadows. "Unless, that is, you're scared to fight me one-on-one again."

"You were losing..." I remarked sarcastically, resting my gunblade on one shoulder.

"Heh...call it what you wish, I'd say it was over too soon to call. You are a good fighter, I'll give you that, but let's see how much you've improved. Come on!" He performed a lateral swing and assumed his fighting stance. "Party or whatever, let's settle this thing first, and right here's just fine!" 

Maybe the wine finally got to me, I don't know. I grinned slightly and, swinging my gunblade downwards once, I assumed my own stance. 

During what seemed like several minutes we stared each other down, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike. I took the opportunity to observe his gunblade, a Hyperion, the exact same one he used before, one of the most stylish of its kind, but also a model that doesn't do much damage. Its blade is slightly thinner and longer compared to my Revolver, thus making it faster and lighter to handle and giving it a longer reach, but the Hyperion's maximum blasting capacity when triggered is only a little more than half of the Revolver's. His weapon reflected his style; he stood sideways with his right side leading. Hyperion in only one hand, his right, which was raised and pointed towards me, his left arm provided the possibility of a second, barehanded attack. My stance also matched my weapon; I stood facing forward with my left foot slightly in front, the heavier Revolver clutched firmly with both hands.

"Admit it. You're scared to fight me..."

I reacted by narrowing my eyes.

"You show such impudence indeed."

_'Look who's talking...'_

"Do you know why I fight?"

_'What the heck is this all about?' I decided to answer the question anyway. "...sore loser..."_

To this he gave a petty laugh. He dropped his stance and stood upright. For a moment, it seemed he had backed out of the fight. Then he spoke, "That's what is so difficult with you others. It's that you clueless fools really don't understand what it is like to pursue an ultimate dream, a romantic and noble purpose." 

_'Now what do dreams have to do with anything...' I suddenly remembered one of my own, and it gave me a slight shiver, an effect that most other things fail to cause. Pushing it from present thought, I blinked twice and focused once more on the task at hand.___

He gave a drawn-out sigh of impatience. "And I thought you'd probably have that same vision within you. Too bad, what a waste. But enough of that now..." He once again assumed his stance. "Let's get this show on the road!"

_'Finally...'_

Now the sky had become completely shrouded with clouds. The luminous moon that once shone brightly now only lent a dull hue to the earth. Even Garden's lights seemed a little suppressed compared to sometime ago. 

As if on cue, a flash of lightning flared across the sky, and we both lunged forward in attack. The sound of steel clashing against steel rang far into the black, listless night, though I hardly believed that anyone in the great Quad heard, amidst their music and merrymaking. 

_'Thrust.__ Parry. Lunge. Slash. Back up a little and then block.' My technique was perfect, but so was his. All of his attacks were deflected with relative ease, and yet every time I ventured a counterattack, his blade would be once again poised and ready to strike it out of the way. _

_'One of us is bound to make the first fault; I just hope I'm not the one.' After being able to duck under one powerful horizontal backhand slice, I quickly dashed in and stabbed upward, aiming to bring the tip of the blade mere inches from his throat, and an end to the match. In one fluid motion, however, he spun around, using the momentum of his swing to drive him faster as he crouched down, below my blade, and threw a handful of dust in my face. Stunned, I relented and began to stagger backwards. Completing another full spin, he swung upward and struck my gunblade. He pulled the trigger, and the explosion caught me off-guard. It was enough to knock the heavy Revolver from my hands and send it airborne._

I somehow managed to leap back and out of the Hyperion's reach. Surprisingly, Seifer made no attempt to attack. He stood a little distance away, glaring menacingly with a spark of amusement in his eyes. The ends of his lips curved upwards in a slight, though exceedingly wicked smirk. He had been able to disarm me, that we both knew, but we also understood that it was not over. I was still on my guard and ready for anything, in addition to being unharmed; a little startled maybe, but unscathed in any way. 

"You know, I could easily finish this now," he dared. 

"I think not."

"Heh...it just isn't in my nature to attack an unarmed enemy..."

I somehow got the feeling that he was just making these things up.

Then, something from among the dark clouds caught our attention. The Revolver gleamed, even in the faint light, like a falling star. It spun as it plummeted through the air, landing solidly, blade-first, in the rocky ground and producing a considerable fissure. The handle jutted out visibly, much like Arthur's sword in the stone.

Deciding not to take any more chances unarmed, I dashed for the weapon. As soon as I pulled it out of the ground, I shifted direction and then ran towards Seifer. He was poised to strike, battle stance as menacing as before. I let out a yell and the sounds of battle raged once again. I was determined this time to defeat him and put an end to this tired battle. 

And it seemed he was as well. After a particularly forceful strike, I hopped back and then dashed forward, gaining momentum to deliver an even stronger follow-up. It was then that he stepped once away and raised his left hand. Bits of spark and flame began to appear and swirl out of thin air and collect at his palm. I recognized the move, but too late to avoid a direct hit. I raised my gunblade to shield my face, or at least lessen the force of the projectile, but it wasn't enough to prevent me from being thrown back to the ground a few feet away. I staggered to get up, and a slight haze blurred my vision.

_'What the heck...magic? He's got a Guardian Force already?'_

Magic attacks utilized the elemental and mystical forces to give the caster a formidable power, even without the use of a weapon. However, a Guardian Force, or GF, was required to be able to draw or acquire magic attacks from opponents. GF's are mighty creatures of unknown origin rampant throughout the world, and only SeeDs and SeeD candidates were the only ones actually capable of defeating them, consequently being able to call upon their powers thereafter. It was a fact that GF's beaten in battle willingly served their defeater. While it would still be a few months before I was supposed to get mine during the field exam, it was now rather obvious that he already had one.

An angry cry brought me back to the situation at hand. Seifer was now charging towards me, his Hyperion poised for a diagonal cut. I hurried to move back, but found myself unable to evade. The blade was brought down, and a searing pain shot through my face. 

A second passed. I was kneeling. Blood covered the immediate ground, stained a few parts of my coat, and shrouded the vision of my right eye. A line of pain, beginning from above my right eyebrow and ending below my left cheek made me tremble, but also fueled a growing anger inside. Did it have to come to this? _'Perhaps' I thought, __'this was inevitable.' I looked up, despite blurry vision and a growing dizziness, and saw Seifer. He seemed to be stunned, but at the same time, smirking. I felt then that I no longer was myself, but controlled by another being. As if by instinct, I gripped my Revolver, lunged forward and swung upwards. I felt the blade connect with something, and Seifer fell to the ground._

"...dirty...cheat..." 

I noticed a few students by the Garden entrance before everything turned black...


	10. AfterEffects

**A/N**: Many thanks to my good friend mooka (aka Tsuya), for providing me with much-needed music. The CD's rock!!! (which is why I'm able to continue writing...) Special mention to his pets Tagpi, Wasabe, and others.

Loads of thanks as well to Rick Forrest for words of inspiration! Always a good thing, and very much appreciated! His Vandread fic is good. I recommend fans to read it as well. 

Many thanks as well to mary, Sadistic Shadow and midnightprowler. I've been a total...well, you know...for not thanking them LOTS (and for not updating soon as well...). Well, that's life. I'll try to do better next time. 

That was short...Well, on with the story. Enjoy! And please, please, please R&R!!! 

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**CHAPTER 9**

After-Effects

"At last we meet again..."

She spoke only those words. I remember distinctly hearing a woman's voice, clear, familiar, and yet...unrecognizable. But then I decided not to pay any more attention before again becoming oblivious to anything and everything. 

I squinted against bright light, surprisingly different from the darkness I saw before losing consciousness. Some things that did not go away, unfortunately, were the dizziness and the pain on my face, though both now somewhat subsided. 

"You're awake...? Oh, how unfortunate for your friends not to be here at the moment..." Unlike the last time, this voice I recognized instantly. Dr. Kadowaki, the tremendously kind and motherly physician at the Garden clinic, moved from her desk at the far end of the room, near its entrance, to the sick-bed where I lay. I could only make out blurred images, my eyes had yet to focus, the left half shut and the right still remembering the sting caused by recent blood flow.

_'Recent?'_ As my mind slowly cleared, I now began to wonder what time of day, and what day exactly it already was; all at once, numerous questions bombarded my weary consciousness. 

"Can you speak now, son? How're you feeling?" I noticed she was now standing at the foot of the bed, and was looking at me with a doctor's concern.

"...a bit dizzy..." I answered with considerable effort. It surprised me how difficult I found it to speak.

"That's good to hear. I thought you'd be suffering from brain damage or blindness even, but now I think you're going to be just fine," she said with a reassuring smile, before starting back to her desk. "Just stay there and rest for the moment."

I closed my eyes and, once again, drifted into the eternity of unconsciousness, which always seems to last only an instant. True to itself, it was over before I knew it, and I found myself rising from a dreamless slumber. The place was exactly as I had left it, as if I had not slept at all - save for the absence of the physician. In any case, my timing was something that might be called impeccable, as a few familiar faces strolled into the infirmary at that moment. Quistis, Selphie, Lori, Emily, and Zell – in that order – rushed to the bedside upon finding out I was awake. 

"We're so glad you're alright!" "You were bleeding pretty badly..." "What happened out there?" "You've been out almost three days now..." "Hey buddy, how 'ya feeling?"

"Please, one at a time," Dr. Kadowaki nearly shouted. "He's fully healed now, though the bandages will have to stay on for another few days or so..." Her next words were directed specifically towards me. "You should be able to sit up now at least, what with all that sleep and medicine you've been having."

True enough, my head felt quite a lot clearer, and I found that I could sit up on the bed with little difficulty. A few pangs of dull pain could still be felt from my one serious injury, but it was decidedly far less than I had previously felt it. 

I was more than eager to find out what had been going on while I lay at the infirmary, and perhaps even more so to know how much time has transpired since the fateful night. I felt that I have been spending forever in fits of unconsciousness, although the time spent in them seemed, at the same time, to end in mere instances.

It turned out that, according to the narrations of my companions before they left for classes sometime ago, that today was the third day after the welcome party. A few students who had gone outside shortly after the party found the two of us bleeding and senseless on the ground, and promptly brought us to the attention of the Garden medical staff and the infirmary. Seifer recovered a day after, as his injury was, in the words of the good doctor, "considerably less serious than that of the other one." This came to me as no surprise, since, although my retaliation was one born of revenge and a feeling of anger, something somehow within prevented me from going too far. However, the guy was, according to Zell, a "royal pain in the ass", and had instantly made a wealth of enemies already in Balamb Garden.

The good doctor woke me from contemplation with a couple of hotdogs from the cafeteria. "Quistis told me to give these to you in case you were hungry." Hungry I was, having not eaten anything in almost a week, and I eagerly ate all that was offered. Dr. Kadowaki spoke again after I had finished. "Well, you should be able to walk about. I guess you may leave whenever you want to...oh, but one more thing, you'll have to be accompanied by a professor on your way out. I've been told you have to report to the Headmaster as soon as you've fully recovered, though I'm not really quite sure he's around right now."

I sat contemplating my would-be punishments: a public execution would definitely be going too far; just some community service would be too light; physical torment was strictly forbidden in the Garden; and I doubted that I could just walk away from this one. After all the deliberation, I was almost fully convinced of either a suspension or a transfer to another Garden. In any case, I then informed the physician that I wanted to leave.

"Just a minute," she then walked to her desk and spoke over the infirmary phone. "Ah, Instructor Trepe, you are requested at the infirmary...I see...no, I don't think he'd mind...of course...all right." After putting down the receiver, she turned to me. "She's coming to pick you up during her next break, in about half an hour."

"That's fine," I nodded, "I can wait."

Either I was already too accustomed to waiting or I fell into another dream, I couldn't tell, but the time was once again up before I realized it, and I soon noticed the instructor enter the infirmary.

"Feeling all better now?" she asked as I started to get up. I only nodded in response, and we left the clinic shortly afterwards without exchanging any other words.

"So, how are you feeling?" she asked yet again, for what seemed the nth annoying time, observing the bandages on my face as we rode the elevator to the upper floor. I had half a mind to snap out my answer with the intention of silencing her once and for all on the matter, but then finally decided not to, considering the respect due her as a Garden instructor and as a friend; and also considering that the elevator doors opened at that minute and a few Trepies were in the immediate area. I replied with a polite "I'm fine…" as we stepped out into the corridor, but I could tell that she easily read the hint of annoyance mingled therein quite clearly.

"Oh, alright..." her voice softened just a bit with each syllable. Her next words, however, were those of a stern professor, as well as a truly concerned friend, and were a little more audible. "Now how did you get yourself tangled up in that mess? You could've been hurt, or worse...and in the process, could just as easily have put someone else in danger...I'm sure that you could take care of yourself just fine, and I'll bet that if you were to do the event over, the outcome would have been better, if not the same, but still..." she paused to take a breath. Aside from a faint smile, her face showed little emotion, but the sincerity of her words was crystal clear. "...you can't stop your friends from worrying, right?"

All the time of her speech found me sulking at the tiled floor. Nonetheless, its effect, though not externally evident, was that it made me feel more tranquil.

I then realized, after focusing my attention on the floor, that we were making our way towards the classrooms on the second level and not the headmaster's office on the third. "Um, Quistis, aren't we supposed to meet with the Headmaster?" 

"Oh, he went to a meeting in Galbadia, I believe. However, what they are to meet about, I really don't know. Weren't you informed? Maybe it slipped the doctor's mind. Well, in any case, we're here..." we stood at the entrance to the classroom, and I let her enter first as a courtesy before venturing to step in myself. From outside the open door, our 20-student class was, as was usual, noisy and in a certain degree of disarray, even until the instructor had made her presence known. It all changed, however, when I walked in.

The buzzing voices immediately hushed, and all eyes fixed on me as I made my way to my seat near the back of the room. I wondered if the bandages were at fault for predicament, or if my three days of absence had anything to do with the matter, or if the incident before that time bore the most of the burden. Even Zell, and the others were silent. Nonetheless, I resolved to ignore the situation as best I could, the most familiar and usual defense mechanism of mine. I sat down nonchalantly, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"If I may now have the attention of the class…" Quistis' authoritative instructor voice seemed to echo in the silence of the room. Slowly, one by one, the students moved their glances from me to her. "That's much better. Now that everyone's ready, let's begin…"

Her would-be announcements were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door opening and once again, the class was distracted, although this time by the arrogant blond-haired transferee. He now had a strikingly prominent scar on his face, running from above his left brow down to his right cheek.

"How nice of you to join us, Mr. Almasy," Quistis remarked, clearly exerting little effort to mask sarcasm, "I see your bandages have been taken off…"

"…just yesterday evening, professor. How nice of you to notice," he interrupted in a tone that was just as sarcastic as hers, but all the more venomous. The class treated him in the same manner that I just had been, but the curious and sympathetic looks were replaced by angry glares from every angle, most especially from Trepie territory. It was as if only I remained undisturbed, as I concentrated only on the terminal on my desk. It was only rightfully so, perhaps, since there were dozens of letters in my inbox from my classmates, and I really didn't want to even notice the person.

My attention was suddenly diverted when someone sat at the desk next to mine. I was even more surprised to discover that the person was Seifer. He then switched on his terminal and went about whatever business he had.

Just then, another email popped into my mailbox. It was from the instructor. Apparently, she had gotten better at mind reading, as her message seemed to imply: "Sorry, it's not my decision…but he's also your training partner."

I sat dumbfounded. As much as possible, I wanted to stay as far away from the person as I could. Perhaps being a classmate or even seatmate was tolerable, but a training partner…? _'Do they want a repeat of the accident? I wonder how she could have allowed this, considering what happened last time and her reaction to it…' _The message continued: "I guess you're wondering how it was possible…it was against my better judgement, but the headmaster gave the final word…"

I was overcome by a feeling of intense uneasiness, or rather more like a sense of dread that something unpleasant was going to happen soon; and that somehow, the headmaster was behind it.

Quistis roused me from my thoughts, as well as dutifully reminded all of us that there were still classes to attend. "Alright class, for the remainder of the year, we shall be concentrating on weapons practice and specialization. Might I remind each one of you to coordinate with your respective partners…most especially you, Mr. Almasy. Nobody is to injure his or her partner during training…"


	11. Excerpts

**A/N**: Whooooa!!! An update in less than a month! Hey, I did say I'd try to do better, right? Actually, it's vacation time as of now, and I've been able to get a lot of writing done...too bad that summer's ending soon... and I've gotten to using a new emoticon :-) since fanfiction.net edits out all my underscores and whatnot...ahem SHOUT-OUTS:: Many, many, many thanks to the latest reviewers:

**lendmemoni -** I'm glad you're enjoying the fic. I'd have to confess, though, that Rinoa's not coming in for another 10 or so chapters...please don't get mad at me!!! I do promise to write and update as frequently as I can, to the best of my abilities. :-) And I don't think you're so evil...in fact, you're so good, to give a review. Much appreciated!

**Rick Forrest **- Intriguing...? Hm...interesting...very...heheheh. That gives me an idea...hmmhmmhmm...heheheheh... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! AHEM Anyways, it gets even more intriguing as it goes on...or so I presume as I write it... Glad you like this chapter! :-)

**ILoveSquall -** I am so, so, very, very, VERY grateful for you pointing that mistake out to me (and I'm also so, so, very, very sorry)...I never noticed his eyes were blue...I never really thought to check before...I feel so STUPID!!! Anyways, for that, I believe you deserve a little something in the future. (I have no idea what really...you could give some suggestions if you'd like) For now, accept my utmost gratitude. I also appreciate that you are pleased with the fic. :-)

**The Angel of the Lion **- First off, thanks so much for being a very faithful reviewer!!! :-) Actually, I find it quite easier writing in first-person. As for other styles, I'm still working on them in my other fics. And as for the 'realistic emotions', well, I tend to pattern them after my own. I'm quite familiar with Leonhart...on a lot of things...heh. Anyways, thanks again! I'll try to update soon again. :-)

Well, by the time this chapter's out, I would have remedied and updated that little blunder of mine, as well as several others...trivial, like this one, I'm sure...but I'm something of a perfectionist...or maybe it's just my obsessive-compulsiveness. (For a perfectionist, I sure am lousy...) Sincerest apologies to all!!! I'll be more careful in the future. If anyone sees any more errors, (factual or grammatical or anything else) please do not hesitate to correct me. Grammatical errors do not span dialogue, however. I've a lot of those in there for character sake.

Well, here's the continuation, though it's rather short...enjoy! :-)

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**CHAPTER 10**

Excerpts

The course of succeeding days was comparable to sailing a dinghy through deep, uncharted waters, with uncertain weather accompanying all the way through the long, arduous, suspenseful journey to a place nobody has never even heard of, or dreamed of going to. I wasn't at all that worried about weapons training, that was not the issue; but rather there have been too many coincidences. Now not only were the transferees "put under our care" (as Quistis put it), but their quarters were also in the same corridor as ours. We now had the whole area to ourselves, much to Zell's horror, since Seifer was also assigned there. Irvine, Selphie and Emily blended seamlessly into our group. They seemed to be having a really good time (although nothing really changed for me…), and it was as if they had been long-time friends of ours…

_'Nah, couldn't be…'_

According to schedule, weapons training was to last until the end of the year, (which was about two months long) after which those who perform up to the required SeeD standards (traditionally the top 8 or so of each class) will find themselves Guardian Forces, as well as several magic spells, outside of Garden. Immediately after follows the final exam for SeeD candidacy, an actual assignment that will be supervised by the SeeDs themselves. All those who successfully complete the test then graduate and are made members of the elite mercenary force. For the immediate time being, however, was intensive training, and our days were usually spent in the combat center during numerous drill sessions.

The partner system did not actually turn out that bad. As a matter of fact, we were usually only required to defend ourselves against monsters that were allowed to roam free in the training grounds, rather than fight one another, though that particular instruction was issued every now and then to practice man-to-man combat. Seifer, obviously not one to settle for anything less that the top spot when it came to matters of skill, performed extremely well. We were evenly matched during the duels, with each one ending in a draw.

The sense of uneasiness never left me for a day, but I knew I was cunning, and did not even dare provide a hint of these inner feelings; all these I kept to myself, as I always do concerning matters I felt nobody else needed to know.

What really unnerved me were the periods outside of classes. Shortly after "The Battle" (as most called it), people have been noisier, it seemed. Everywhere in Garden, people were talking about it, and about me. I was used to some notice now and again, but this was just ridiculous, not to mention extremely uncomfortable. There were times when I just wanted to remain in my room the whole day, but requirements in my SeeD training prevented me from doing so. The fact that Seifer kept pestering me only made matters worse. In any case, I decided to just focus on what was truly important and try to ignore everything else, and as a result, I resorted to an even icier persona, as dictated by my instinct-like defense mechanism.

As for Seifer himself, I simply did my best to ignore him. It somehow helped that the majority, if not the rest, of the student populace ignored him as well, in addition to openly scorning him to a degree. It also helped that we all, very gradually, grew used to his pompous attitude, and evolved to live with it, even allowing him to be part of Garden's disciplinary committee (along with the only other two members, Raijin and Fujin, who came to actually respect Seifer).

My injury healed remarkably in the span of only about another week after my return to classes, and the bandages were finally taken off. What was left was a grim vestige, a clearly prominent scar running from my right brow to the middle of my left cheek. It was much like Seifer's, but his ran the opposite way, from left brow to right cheek.

The Headmaster arrived from his meeting two days after my return to class, but has kept to himself in his office, and has requested "not to be bothered unless of truly grave circumstances". I figured that he had a lot on his mind, and that perhaps now wasn't the time to be chatting about some strange feeling I have.

Now, our training periods began drawing to a close, with fine lines drawn between the strata of students of different skills: there were those who were "favorites" of getting into SeeD (which was, oddly enough, comprised of all the members of our little group), the "okay" faction, the "purely-strategists-only-can't-do-battle" kind, the exact opposite group of "purely-battle-hardy-but-without-planning", and the "not-doing-so-well" students. But little did we know that the true test of our abilities was only about to begin…


	12. Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: **Wow! I'm finally glad I found some time to get this updated! I am ABSOLUTELY swamped with schoolwork!!! Not that I don't like it...I really love Ana(tomy) and Physio(logy) and all our other PT subjects...it's just that it becomes very stressful!!! There's so much to read and all...

But that's enough of my problems for now. I'm just glad that I'm still sane and able to write, and that there are people who actually read what I write!!! I still feel so honored even after all this time! And I get long reviews this time! I'm usually the one dishing them out...

Shout-outs::

**lendmemoni** - I'm glad you think that. I don't like rushing things, but I'm relieved that the story's not going too slowly. I reviewed one of your stories sometime ago...hope it boosts your morale and ego and drive to write. PLEASE UPDATE!!! :-) Heheh... Thanks lots for the review! :-)

**Rick Forrest - **Hey...all reviews are blessings. One should be very grateful. :-) I am particularly more than grateful to reviewers. As for my perfectionism, it doesn't get me too down; I try to keep it in check. Anyways, thanks for the review and I'll try to get to work on the next chapters of "Memory" as well. I'm looking forward to that "other story". :-)

Whew...well, here's the continuation. Thankfully, I did a lot of writing during summer. Now that I'm drowning in schoolwork, hopefully I'll be able to find time in the near future to organize and update. Oh, and the format's new here...my obsessive-compulsiveness is getting worked-up again. I think it looks more organized, though.

Enjoy! :-)

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**CHAPTER 11**

Calm Before the Storm

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"That all you got, chickenwuss?"

"Shut up, Seifer!" It was clear that Zell was irritated. Luckily, he had an enemy Grat to vent it out on. "…whew! Irvine! How 'ya doing over there?" he called out to his partner somewhere deeper in the training center.

"No prob!" was barely audible amid shotgun rounds. The person himself stepped into view soon after. "So, we done?"

"Yep," Zell replied after delivering the knockout kick to his enemy.

"About time, slowpokes…I get tired waiting for your scrawny asses," and it really showed, as Seifer tended to act and sound more sarcastic the more bored he became. "I've had half a mind to help you out of your misery…err…duty of clearing this sector…"

"Cut the crap, Seifer," Irvine intervened, "come on, guys, let's go."

It took us several minutes of walking to reach the outer regions of the training facility. Quistis sat near the gate area, reading a book when she noticed us approaching. "Dincht and Kinneas...very good. Second team to finish." She announced as she scribbled something on her nearby class record.

Zell looked shocked. "Second?! Wait, then who's the first?"

The professor simply nodded towards our direction. "Leonhart and Almasy."

"But we arrived at the same time…"

"Correction…they've reported here already about ten minutes ago, before going back inside."

Zell hung his head in defeat. "Oh, all right. Shoulda guessed you guys were done already. Besides, second place's not too bad, eh Irv?"

The cowboy just shrugged. "Guess that's right."

We stayed at the area, waiting for the other students to arrive. The interior of the training center looked like a huge jungle, with dense, green landscape sprouting out from all sides, save for the massive electronic gate itself and the safe-looking corridor beyond. Zell paced the area, looking around carelessly; I leaned against the gate in mock sleep; Irvine began checking and cleaning his shotgun with a piece of cloth; and Seifer sat at a bench, beside the professor.

"It must be pretty lonely just waiting here, professor," Seifer, who had been uncharacteristically silent for the past few minutes, spoke up.

"Not really. I usually bring a book to read," she replied, not taking her eyes off the reading material, a novel entitled "Transcendent Light" by an author named Thomas Wisdom.

"Just like I said…boring..."

"Not if you've got a good imagination," she said dryly, evidently annoyed at this point, "which I doubt you possess…"

Seifer just grinned cockily. "Touchy…good thing those monsters don't sneak up on you while you're imagining."

Quistis looked up at him. "You know fully well that most of them are not hostile, and that I could protect myself just fine."

"Yeah, sure you can…" he sneered, "like you can protect yourself if a T-Rexaur suddenly charged right at you from out of the jungle."

T-Rexaur is the toughest creature in the training center and the worst that any of us was in danger of encountering. Only the bravest and most skilled of fighters have been able to beat it; no SeeD candidate has ever stood a chance. The monster was rarely seen, though, and dwelled only in the more remote areas of the training facility. Fortunately, no candidate has ever come across one during training. How or why the monsters were there remained a mystery to the majority.

"I suppose you can?" Quistis dared.

"Why of course. I have no doubt that you'll be perfectly safe when you're with me."

There suddenly arose an uncomfortable silence between the two. Quistis was about to say something when several students appeared from the foliage. She then hurriedly excused herself and went over to them, both clipboard and book in hand.

Zell and Irvine, who also had been listening in on the conversation as well, but who were, much unlike myself, less cautious and more foolhardy, approached Seifer.

"Heyyy…did I really hear what I just heard?" Zell casually commented.

"About what, chickenwuss? How you're such a pain in the ass?" Seifer was clearly beginning to get annoyed, and perhaps just a little embarrassed.

Irvine laughed. "Seif, I never knew you liked Quistis. You're usually so forward…"

"And where did you get that idea, weirdo?"

"She's still available, you know…"

"Cut that out!" Seifer's face turned very slightly redder. It was only too unfortunate for him that we were given strict orders awhile ago not to leave the area. Even then, he was controlling himself extremely well by not storming off.

"Hey! You're blushing!"

"Trash it, Irvine!"

"But it's true! Hey, here's a thought…"

Zell butt in. "Don't change the subject."

"Quiet, chickenwuss!"

"…how'll the Trepies take this? I mean…"

"Argh! Darn, Irvine…"

"Well, that means Seifer'll have more enemies."

"Yeah, right, like that'll happen…"

"It already has…"

"Oh just shut up already!"

"But Seifer, how's Quistis gonna react?"

"Excuse me…WILL YOU CLOWNS STOP THAT AT ONCE?!!" came an angry yell from the professor herself, whose face was flushed as well. Some of the other students who had arrived in the while began giggling, while others, most especially the Trepies, glared forebodingly.

She wisped a few strands of hair that fell to her face as a result of the sudden outburst and breathed deeply. "Alright class, is everyone here? Who else haven't reported yet?"

None answered.

"Hmmm…that's funny…hey," she turned towards the four of us, "any of you guys seen Selphie's or Lori's group?"

Both I and Seifer just shrugged.

"Aren't they here yet?" Zell asked, looking around.

"Well, they haven't reported to me yet…"

Irvine ventured. "Maybe they're still in the…"

A faint scream from deep in the woods forced us all silent.


	13. Danger Zone

**A/N: **Wow, it's been, like, ages since I've updated Scar Amnesty! Here's the continuation!:-)

Anyways...SHOUT-OUTS!

**Rick Forrest** - Well, yeah, it's kind of predictable what happens next; I'm not too good at cliffhangers...hopefully, this WILL be good... :-)

Finally been able to update!!! Saturdays keep piling up with work!!! Anyways, wish our batch luck...the profs have been giving us a HELL of a time!!! - 

Enjoy! :-)

**--------------------------------------------------**

**CHAPTER 12**

Danger Zone

**--------------------**

The alarming shriek had stopped time in the entire training facility.

Without a doubt, it was human...

"…Selphie…" Irvine breathed.

…and there was very little doubt that it was her, or one of the others who were still not here.

As if on cue, the four of us shot urgent glances at each other, and then bolted at once in the direction of the sound, weapons drawn out and ready.

Seifer and I led the way, Zell right behind, and Irvine following at the back. We raced through the jungle, hacking at foliage, pushing stray branches out of the way, and making quick work of annoying grats.

Another scream made us slow for a moment and consider in which direction to continue, before we resumed running to where it emanated from. A second later, came a loud, animalistic roar.

"Oh holy...darn it! Weren't you just talking about that monster, Seifer?" Zell asked, still running.

"Ah...yeah..." Seifer replied slowly, though the speed of his words betrayed that of his actions.

"Well, maybe now you believe in karma, right? And yours is very, very bad right now, I would like to say..." Zell added, his voice shaking. It was kind of like him to crack a remark during nerve-racking situations and perilous crises like this one. Maybe it calms him a bit.

"Well, you'd better be true to your word of being able to handle that brute, Seifer. Chances are that we're going to have to really fight that thing. And all the powers that be know that we need all the skill we can possibly muster...maybe even more," Irvine yelled back, now leading the way.

"And luck as well...do you really think we can take the T-Rexaur on ourselves?" Zell asked.

Silence was his answer.

It seemed to take forever to reach the place, though only about a minute had passed since the first sign of alarm. Another roar sounded, this time quite near our location. In a flash, we sprinted off even faster.

"Over here! Hurry!" Irvine implored.

We arrived at a wide clearing. The once proud trees that stood there now lay in shambles at the ground. Towering above all else, including the two missing teams, was the absolute terror of the training center, the infamous T-Rexaur. It was a frightening sight. Standing more than fifteen feet tall, its hulking frame boasted of immense strength, yet its movements, both sudden and subtle, revealed its deceptive flexibility and dexterity. It had razor-sharp claws and teeth that one would definitely would not want to be on the receiving end of, and it clearly manifested a hunter's instinct, more specifically, a carnivorous one. Worst of all, the creature seemed hungry.

They desperately tried to keep the brute away, but to no avail, their backs to a high stone cliff, and their weapons doing little to help. To make matters worse, Selphie was pinned under the giant's massive foot, unmoving, and seemingly unconscious. It eyed her intently, somewhat like examining its first meal in a long time.

Unfortunately, we were only given but a second to fully assess the situation. A scream chorus resounded as the T-Rexaur roared, and then opened its mouth wide, bringing its crushing jaws down.

"BACK OFF, CREEP!!!" Irvine shouted as he let loose a round of bullets from his shotgun. It struck the monster's face, and the T-Rexaur backed off, cringing, lifting its foot off from the dazed girl. Immediately, Zell rushed in and swiftly picked her up, leading the others as well to safer ground.

Even as Irvine fired another blast, Seifer and I charged ahead, gunblades unsheathed. There was no time for fear or uncertainty. "Let's see what this guy's got..." Seifer mumbled, voice quivering with excitement. The unspoken, yet fully understood, plan was for me, Seifer and Irvine to distract the beast while Zell got the others safely out. It was very risky, most especially for the three of us, but also perhaps the best option at the moment.

The clearing was relatively small, and we were quickly within striking distance. The monster was big, making it quite easy to slash at, even more so in its confused state. No sooner had we reached it that we began the assault, but we very soon found that its hide was incredibly tough, and our attacks did not seem to do much, powerful as we considered they were. Even Irvine's shots failed to have a considerable effect.

_'Not even a scratch...maybe if we used the trigger function...but that's not our objective now...' _I began thinking.

"Hmph...nothing?" Seifer scoffed; he too had noticed at once. "Well then, take this!" He yelled, swinging the Hyperion and pulling the trigger as it made contact.

"Seifer! What the...!" Zell, who was standing nearby with the other students as they began to collect their wits, was cut off by the sound of the Hyperion's blast at full power. A blazing explosion formed at the T-Rexaur's left hind leg, where the gunblade connected, and a small could of smoke rose. We dashed back a several paces from the beast and observed for only a moment.

To our disbelief, there was only a small skin discoloration to indicate that a blow ever hit the area.

"Whoa...no wonder this thing's so tough to fight..." Irvine murmured.

"Weak strength..." I muttered under my breath.

The monster, whose incessant flailing we were able to dodge until this point, let loose another deafening roar. Now unmoving, it regarded us carefully, threateningly. Its eyes clearly said "playtime's over, you're dead".

"Seifer! What the hell did you do that for?!" Zell was furious.

The plan was bust. We had hoped that we wouldn't have to really engage in combat with the monstrosity, just to daze it somehow and make a hasty retreat before it could recover, but it seemed now that we didn't really have any other choice.

Seifer blanched. Even he was at a loss for words; all he managed was, "I...well...will you just shut up?!"

As if the situation couldn't get any more tense, a number of other classmates appeared at the nearby vicinity. Even the professor herself showed up, looking paler now than any other time in the past.

There was no more time. I spoke up, in a controlled tone as to not provoke the waiting enemy, "Zell...Quis...get the others to safety, now! The rest of you, get the heck out of here carefully..."

"Yeah, we'll take care of this guy...somehow..." Irvine sounded more hopeless than he looked, as he slowly began to load another round into his shotgun. "...I don't think we all can outrun it...and I'd hate to find out what would happen if he'll follow us to the outer parts of the facility..."

"Gotcha!" Zell affirmed, as he and the others began moving away. They had just disappeared through the undergrowth when, as if on cue, the T-Rexaur gave a snort, then another fearful roar, and then began its advance.

"Okay...now!" I shouted, beginning our side's own offensive. Irvine backed up, since he had the long-range advantage, and Seifer and I ran forward. There was no telling whether we could win or not...though I personally believed that our chances of doing so, as well as those of merely staying alive, were very slim indeed. Hopefully, we might just get it disoriented enough to try an escape without it following, but then again, we might not. No Garden student has ever succeeded in defeating a T-Rexaur...ever. I had extreme doubts that the record would be broken now.

Again, we found ourselves hacking at the beast while narrowly dodging tooth and claw at close quarters, with Irvine providing backline support. There was less caution to be observed now, and trigger blasts occurred quite often, as well as carefully-placed spread-shot gunfire. The life-threatening fangs were carefully watched-out for and avoided, but the monster's wild thrashing whacked me and Seifer up a bit, and we were on the receiving end of some nasty-looking bruises, though they did not hurt too much at the time, owing to the adrenaline rush we all were going through.

Hours seemed to pass, though I knew that it had only been at most a few minutes. Nonetheless, the creature did not appear to be weakening any at all, while I began to feel a bit tired. Seifer also looked a quite winded. Short as it was up until now, the entire ordeal already seemed like a most grueling training session.

_'How much more of this can we take...?'_ I thought gravely, _'...if this keeps up like this, then it could only be a matter of time until the inevitable...'_

And something inevitable did happen. Luck itself dealt us a very harsh blow when the dinosaur brought down its massive tail and knocked Seifer clear off his footing and several feet away. He crashed into one of the upright trees, and slumped to the ground. The injury was substantial, and gave him what looked like a badly dislocated left shoulder in addition to a great deal more fatigue.

I heard, amidst all the noise, Irvine shout, his voice wavering, "Last...shot...!" and then one more shotgun discharge.

_'Oh boy...this is bad...' _I tensed considerably immediately upon hearing the sound. _'Don't tell me I just heard that...'_

click...click 

Even with my back turned, I could sense the gunslinger go white. "That's it...I'm...out of ammo..."

"You're...not kidding, are you?" Seifer remarked. He sounded as anxious as Irvine.

"You think bullets grow on trees?!" Irvine yelled, now rather panicked.

"Drat!" Seifer snarled, seemingly more out of frustration than pain, clutching his bleeding arm. "It would've been a lot easier if I had my Guardian Fenrir..."

"Well you don't, okay?" The other retorted, "And you only have yourself to blame for it being confiscated. Anyways, Squall! You hang in there! I think it's kind of winded down now!"

_'Now you tell me...'_ It was only me up close against the T-Rexaur, though it didn't seem to notice, as it continued to flail violently. By now, my muscles were aching and had several scratches and contusions...it wasn't long before I too would be too fatigued to carry on. On the bright side, Irvine seemed to be right, as the enemy began to look tired and disoriented.

_'Just a little more...'_

And then fate dealt the final, cruel hand.

Still undulating about, the beast turned and gave an earsplitting roar...right at me. There was enough force in its bellow to throw me backwards, though not as much as Seifer earlier. Fortunately, I landed wobbly on my feet several yards away from the T-Rexaur, though still on guard; the bad part was that my gunblade was thrown off some distance away from me, and landed among a tangle of vines in the undergrowth.

"Idiot...!" Seifer began, but I shot him a livid glance that silenced him quickly.

With the barrage of attacks gone, the T-Rexaur merely shook its head and firmly stood its ground, letting out another thunderous boom.

"...what the...heck? Didn't we even hurt it a little...?" Irvine had only panic in his voice now.

Small cuts and large discolorations littered the monster's thick skin, but they did not seem to have much adverse effect. The creature now remained stationary, as it had once been before. The entire place suddenly grew quiet, only the ragged breaths of weary warriors being audible, those of the T-Rexaur the most.

Seifer had a possibly broken arm, and Irvine was clean out of bullets. I had my own share of wounds, and my Revolver was somewhere in the knotted greenery a distance away. We all were exhausted at this point, while our adversary still seemed to be in fighting shape.

Only one outcome sprang into my mind...and it wasn't pretty.

Nonetheless, I stared my opponent in the eye, defiant, unwavering; though at the back of my mind I had faintly hoped that we would at least get out of this mess alive. It did not venture an attack, but surprised us all nonetheless with its next move.

With a last glare and a loud snort, it slowly turned its back to us and lumbered off into the deeper depths of the training facility.

Total silence consumed the area for several seconds. Everyone was perhaps too stunned at the sudden change of atmosphere, that of a tense veil being lifted off the very air around us. I was the first to make a sound, a barely audible and very exhausted, "Now...that...was close..."

Seifer began laughing, the laugh one gets out of sheer elation...or maybe the laugh of a madman. "Heheh...you look like you've been scared out of a year's growth when you ran out of ammo there, Irvine!"

Irvine began doing the same. "Yeah, you look like you're gonna take that long to recover! Look at yourself! You're all banged up!"

I too had to let out a chuckle at what happened. The whole of what happened was just unbelievable, and seemed so unreal. But my body told me better, as I simply stood where I was, too tired, or perhaps still too astonished, to move at the moment.

"Let's go back..." I finally said after retrieving my Revolver and another few minutes of silence and recovery.

"Yeah...there's no telling if that blasted T-Rexaur would come back. I bet we'd be dangerously sorry if it did. Besides, Quis might be worrying her head off by now. We've got to get lover-boy here back," Irvine stated, hoisting Seifer up.

"You just shut your trap, jerk," Seifer retorted, though he was actually smiling. He needed help to move around considerably, owing to his unfortunate run-in earlier, and Irvine, being in the best shape of us all despite being a bit shaken up, helped him get around. I myself walked unsteadily, but managed somehow on my own.

We were just about to get into the woods again when Zell suddenly popped up. He was relieved, and rather surprised as us, that we were all alive, but clearly showed his regret over not getting in on any of the action.

"What were you going to do? Bore it to death?" Seifer commented sarcastically. He had regained his spirits after a time, most especially now that Zell, who he always enjoyed annoying, showed up.

"Hahaha...but I'm sure I would've ended up better than you," he shot back. A more detailed explanation on what happened, most especially the gunblades' effects, seemed to make him ponder a bit on his remark.

On the way back, he gave us a full report on how the others were unharmed, but in some shock, and that they too, along with Professor Trepe, were at the infirmary.

"And I guess," he added, "with the shape you guys are in after something like this, you're pretty darn lucky...it's still too bad I missed out on it all."


	14. Small Conversation

**A/N: **Hey; it's been quite a while since I last updated this fic, huh? Well, in any case, there's only one more week to go before school starts again, so I'm trying to get things done before I get too busy to do them again... :-)

On a side note, concerning the previous chapter, I know there's no GF Fenrir...but I'm more comfortable with the idea of making "other" GF's (besides, it's more fun...heheh) than with multiple copies of the same (ala FFX). Anyways...expect more in upcoming installments...just wanted to clear that up...just in case...

Aaaaaaaaaa...SHOUT-OUTS!

**Rick Forrest **- Well, it's been a long time no update, so I guess we're about even. :-) Glad to hear you think the plot of this fic's great; very flattering, I should say. Thanks lots! Nice to see you've updated your own fic; I've sent a review not too long ago...thanks again! :-)

**Angel of the Lion** - And it's very nice to be hearing from you again as well. :-) I've tried to inject a bit of everything (humor, action, etc.) into this fic, owing to the demands of the plotline, as well as my obsessive-compulsiveness and dry imagination...I think it'll still be mostly contemplation and observation, though, those being the strengths of the main character (oh, how well I know him...). Anyways, thanks lots for the reviews. Expect some from me as well in the near future. :-)

Oh, and I've just read your story "**Songs of Yesterday**", and enjoyed it lots! I've also sent a number of reviews for some of the chapters. Anyways, I just wanted to ask permission (if you're reading this) if it would be alright to adopt some of the premises there (events, etc., especially those concerning character relationships and such...). Not all of it, though, and maybe in the later chapters of this fic.

And...that's it. Enjoy while you still can! Uh...scratch that. Here's the next chapter. It's rather short. Enjoy anyways! :-)

-------------------------

**CHAPTER 13**

Small Conversation

-------------------------

"So you mean to say that they were in their designated area when the Rex up and attacked all of a sudden?" Xu's voice was clear and solid even through the concrete wall.

"Not exactly there, but not exactly far-off either..." Quistis' was less so, and seemed slightly disheartened. It was very uncharacteristic of her.

It was evening, several hours after the T-Rexaur fight. Xu and Quistis were discussing the matter, while the rest of us who were largely involved spent the time recuperating at the spacious back room of the infirmary. Seifer, Irvine and the girls slept soundly in their own beds, evidently too tired from the day's events. Zell was out running some errands, most probably venting out his regret over not participating in the earlier battle. I sat up in bed, thinking, when I overheard the female SeeD's comment coming from the adjacent room. I occupied the bed closest to the wall, and only needed to shift slightly to hear the conversation better.

"...but that is what happened! The boys went even further in than them, but ran into no trouble, much less a T-Rexaur..." Quistis was defensive, worried and perhaps even slightly confused, as her tone might suggest.

"It is not likely that a Rex wanders from the innermost parts of the training facility...in the past, it has always been someone going too far who would have had such an encounter..."

"...it is not entirely impossible, is it...?"

There was a long pause...

"Well...there's still the possibility, I guess..." Xu said with much apprehension, "but still is not likely that it could happen...maybe the population's getting too big...?"

"In less than three decades, and under strict Garden supervision? No way!"

"Well, guess that's right...but whatever happened, it really is not normal."

"Speaking of which, Irvine reported that during their fight with the Rex, it just suddenly stopped and walked away. What do you make of it?"

I could imagine the startled look on Xu's face. "Now that is definitely not normal! I mean, the T-Rexaur usually...no...always hunts down its prey, or enemy, or whatever threat, or something...until it itself can't move anymore..."

"Exactly...so how...I mean...all this has never happened before..."

Another lengthy pause. When neither of them spoke, my mind went to some thinking of its own.

_'Could it have just been an illusion? No...impossible! We couldn't have been merely imagining things out there! For sure it was all real...! It must have been...but then again...why the odd behavior? The Rex was, after all, an animal, a lower creature capable only of acting upon its instincts! Perhaps it sensed that we were no longer a threat to it and just walked away? But that would be contrary to its proud and merciless nature. If Xu was right, then it certainly would be out of the ordinary...as it already was...maybe even impossible. The facts still remain, though...the scenario was certainly reality...but why?'_

I then heard someone leave the room. After a few seconds, the door to the adjacent room opened slowly, and I could see the blond-haired professor peer inside, much like a big sister would to her sleeping siblings. Finally noticing me awake, she then entered, quietly closing the door behind her. She leaned against it and sighed audibly.

"Can't sleep? The others have been out since coming here." Her tone was soft as not to wake the napping students. Her stare was fixed on them, one tinged with care and protectiveness.

"You were talking to Xu about the T-Rexaur attack..." I slowly said after a few moments.

"Actually, we...don't know what happened..." she replied in an even slower and more tentative tone, making little effort to hide the hopelessness in her voice.

"The Headmaster might have an idea..."

"I wouldn't know also right now...we haven't been able to contact him yet..."

"Garden Admin?"

"No word about the whole thing."

_'I should've known...the administration's always hiding, seemingly non-existent. But the Headmaster's case is different...he's usually the first to address such situations.'_

Quistis continued, regaining some of her smart professor spirit. "But in any case, you're all considered very lucky to be alive at this point. In the past, absolutely no student has gone on this well after an encounter with the T-Rexaur," she pointed out, giving a slight smile to lighten the mood even a bit. "I guess this is a first. You guys are gonna be famous."

I shrugged, and then lay quietly on the soft bed.

"And I really have to commend your fighting ability and teamwork. The worst injury was only a slight arm fracture..." she said in a more hushed tone as she made her way towards one of the other beds, where the most wounded of us all lay. A look of concern was clearly etched on her face as she sat and observed his arm, on which was, though now cleaned and bandaged, a wound that I'd describe as more than just "slight". For a few minutes only silence was audible.

Three soft taps on the door resonated throughout the room. Immediately, Quistis gave a start, and a slight blush, distinct even in the poor light, crept to her face for just a moment. The spikey-haired kid, he responsible for the interruption of the silence, slowly poked his tattooed face in.

"Hey, Quis. Xu said you'd be here," he greeted, raising a paper bag. "Hungry? Wanna hotdog or burger?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No thanks, I'm not hungry...but maybe Squall would like some," she motioned towards me.

He craned his neck to see better, "You still awake? I'd think you'd be the first to hit the sack. Well anyways," he reached into the bag. "Hotdog, or burger?"

"No..." before I could reply, something came hurtling towards my face. I caught it and recognized the wrapping of one of the cafeteria's famous hotdogs.

"It's today's special, double cheese and chili dog, made especially for us," he smiled, "and it's the last one."

"How nice of you, Zell..." Quistis began, very appreciatively.

"I had three before coming here, FYI..." he replied abruptly.

"...now it's no wonder..." she muttered.

"..." I just shrugged and began eating. The cafeteria's chilidogs were delicious and were the ones I enjoyed the most, when there were those still available. Fortunately, I wasn't as picky as Zell when it came to food.

"So how'd the Rex get so far out of the forest? Any word yet?" said spike-haired student asked the professor, breaking, once again, a lengthy silence in the process.

"No news yet...we still haven't been able to contact either the Headmaster or the rest of the Garden Admin..."

"Well, the Admin I could understand all the hush-hush; but the Headmaster? He's usually the first to react and reassure us of things! Won't he really talk, even to just us? He's like a dad, most especially to us...and he's always had total confidence in you, Quis. You know that..."

She sighed audibly, staring off into empty space in deep thought. "I don't know, Zell. When it all boils down to it, I am to take responsibility for what happened..."

"Don't blame yourself too much, Quis. I'm sure things will work out. Maybe we'll try to contact him tomorrow or something," he said, standing up and stretching out as if suddenly sleepy, "Well, I'm headed back to the dorms now; gonna go hit the sack. You just stay there and keep Seifer company..."

At the sound of the uttered name, she suddenly woke from her reverie and blushed, a deep red this time. "Huh...I...uh...wh-what was...that...it's not...like...you know..." she stammered, also quickly getting up and following Zell towards the door.

I had then finished eating, and had just thrown the trash in the nearby bin. "Whatever..." I sighed to myself as the two passed my bed to the outside of the room. Quite unexpectedly, before closing the door they both peeped in one last time and bid me "good night" and "sleep well" before closing the door.

"Yeah..." I said very softly, that I was sure only I heard.

Looking around a bit, I observed the sleeping forms of my companions. There were eight beds in all, mine being one of the closest to the door, which was located in the center of one of the walls. Looking to my left, I could just barely see Irvine in the next cot, then Selphie, then one of the other girls. On the other side of the room, beginning from the farther area, was one of the other girls, then Seifer, then Lori. The bed opposite mine, also leaning against the wall where the door was located, was empty.

The entire place was quiet as the night, and equally dark. Even then, sleep was something that didn't dawn on me all that quickly, and I sat up in bed for another several minutes, it seemed, just thinking about things. Perhaps also contributing to this was my recent meal.

Eventually, I found myself finally feeling drowsy. No sooner had my head touched the pillow that I fell into a very comfortable state of unconsciousness.


	15. Expectations

**A/N: **Woo boy! It's been ages and ages since I've last updated SA! But fear not, I'm not gonna abandon it, I don't plan to. It's gonna see an end, sooner or later (more like later, since I've not even begun...heheh...this is one long fic...).

Anyways, Shout-outs!

**Angel of the Lion** – I can't thank you enough:-) Thanks lots for the permission; though most of it will be coming out later in the fic. Oh, and I wasn't able to write during the school year...I've been having trouble doing anything else other than studying...and even then, I've only got barely passing marks! No failures, thankfully. I'm not really that smart...but I'm ranting; enough about that. Thank you, thank you, thanks lots again, for reviewing, for everything:-)

...and that's it for now, I guess. Anyways, enjoy this chap! Rather short, but...eh... :-)

* * *

**CHAPTER 14**

Expectations

* * *

Weeks passed with little incident afterwards. Sure, our feats had become something of a hot topic or point of interest among several campus circles, but all that really mattered little, to me at least.

Unfortunately, those weeks also passed without as much as a peep from the headmaster or the Garden Admin concerning the recent strange occurrences. It was very suspicious, even for the Admin, for things to be going on the way they were; something was definitely afoot...

But once again, those things would have to wait for another time...soon, I really hoped. Weapons training had finally ended, and the names of those who were to advance to Guardian Force acquirement for this year were announced. Somehow, I wasn't surprised at all to find myself, Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Lori, and Emmy on the list. Technically, Seifer had passed in Galbadia, and already had a Guardian of his own, so all he needed to do was to pass the final exam.

Still, it was a feat immensely easier said than done.

I awoke to a bright, sunny morning. Good thing, since it was the day I was to get myself a Guardian. Not everybody had one; only those qualified enough were allowed to acquire them. I've learned that it was even possible to have more than one, but I wondered about any side effects; so far, nobody has had the ability (or maybe opportunity or perhaps the guts) to do so. The Guardians weren't absolute requirements for being accepted into the SeeD force, but they helped immensely in performing the mercenary tasks at hand.

The week had been hectic for all of us...one at a time, at least. Each of us was to be accompanied by a SeeD professor, most oftentimes Quistis herself, while securing his or her own Guardian from outside of Garden. In the previous days, Zell had gotten Ifrit; Irvine acquired Ramuh; Selphie, Quetzalcoatl; Lori, Unicorn; and Emily, Stray. It was now my turn, and the whole ordeal made me more than just a little nervous. I made sure not to let it show, though; it wasn't at all difficult in the least to do anyway...to remain stoic, that is.

In any case, as I've read at my computer terminal at class, my field assignment was to one of the nearby snowy, cavernous mountains. My target was Shiva, a Guardian of ice. I was, first of all, to meet the instructor, Quistis, just outside the front gates of Balamb Garden; then, after a hike to the mountain range and a climb to the designated point, battling fiends along the way, was the battle with and acquisition of the Guardian and completion of the assignment.

I made my way out of Garden. Quistis stood alone at the front gate with an unreadable expression on her face. Her SeeD uniform she wore was neat, perhaps newly washed. This bothered me at first, but I didn't let it linger in my mind. We left, without as much as a word, on foot.

_'She's rather quiet...'_ I thought absently. While the professor wasn't really that noisy, she usually tended to maintain a more-than-dead-quiet atmosphere. That is, whenever she wasn't depressed herself. There weren't that many enemies; the bite bugs, caterchipillars, or whatever other monster unfortunate enough to encounter us ended up being easily defeated. Needless to say, the journey to the place was rather uneventful...not to mention a little boring. It was only a good thing that the few T-Rexaurs that sometimes roamed the nearby surroundings were nowhere to be seen.

At the base of the mountain, we were met by two of the Garden faculty, sentries who monitored the operation. Quistis saluted, and I followed suit.

"SeeD candidate Squall Leonhart. With the assistance of Instructor Quistis Trepe, you are to secure the Guardian Shiva in twenty minutes, then report back. The path you are to follow was pre-marked on the assignment briefing. Understood?" One of the figures spoke in a deep voice that sounded barely human.

"Understood," I replied, just as formally. We both then strode past the two, who remained completely motionless. As I passed them, I heard a faint clicking sound. The time limit must've begun at that point.

When we had gone some distance already, and were out of earshot, Quistis breathed a sigh of relief. "It took forever to get past those guys..."

I arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I dunno..." she said simply, "I just get nervous when I have to deal with them. It's not that I'm afraid or anything like that; it's just unnerving." She then added after a brief pause, "Sorry...I'm not making sense, am I?"

"Whatever..." I replied, as a glacial eye came our way and was instantly dispatched. "Don't they oversee us even more strictly here? How come you're livelier all of a sudden?"

"They don't...hey; that's the longest thing you've said so far..." she said, stifling a laugh. This time, I just shrugged in response, not caring for the rest of her answer anymore.

There was another lapse of silence, but it was soon broken by the instructor. It wasn't hard to tell that she was feeling much better. "You know, I think this test is going to be easier than when Zell got his Guardian at the fire cavern also nearby. You did remember to bring along some potions, right?"

"Yeah..."

"That's good...I can only do so much for you in this test. Although I must say that the time limit should've been extended to at least thirty minutes. It took Zell barely twenty to get Ifrit, and it's a shorter walk through there."

"We can do it..." I said, hacking another glacial eye. I was confident that the task could be finished by then, maybe even in less than the specified time, though my comment was more to cheer the instructor up than anything else. It was rather reassuring that she was less quiet now.

She laughed. "You get plus points for your confidence." She then broke into a fast jog. "We'll have to pick up the pace a little to make the time, though, so move it, buster!"

I just sighed in slight irritation, and ran as well for the rest of the way. We stopped only to fight for a few seconds whenever another monster would show up on our path. A few potions ended up being used; the blobras were rather difficult, not to mention annoying, to slash at.

At one point quite near the designated place, Quistis checked the time. "Wow, it's only been nine minutes, and we're almost at the endpoint! This is way better than I expected! I always knew you were my number one student. I'm so proud, really!"

_'Great, we can get this whole thing over with faster.'_ I thought. _'Though I wonder just how tough the Guardian will be...'_

The final stretch to the destination was an uphill climb. Not wasting any time, I scaled the inclination, helping the professor up a few times. Finally reaching the top, I simply stood and stared at what was ahead.

It was a tall, elegant lady sitting on what seemed like a throne of ice. Her blue skin indicated that she wasn't actually human, though she most certainly looked so. She swirled her hands about her, creating icicles and snow around her. She seemed to notice our presence, as she cocked her head and looked at us, directly into my eyes particularly. I did the same. There was a somehow...unreadable expression in her blue orbs. Was it apprehension...pride...or curiosity?

"That's the Guardian," Quistis said, "now come on...huh?" she took a step forward, but I stopped her with an outstretched arm.

I motioned for her to be quiet. "Stay here," I instructed, even though I was the student. I never once broke eye contact with the Guardian. The sleet that flew around slowed a bit, making it look as if time itself had slowed down. Cautiously, I stepped forward, taking one step at a time until I was almost right before the Guardian.

By now, the icicles and snow had stopped, and were simply floating in the air. Part of me was wondering why she hadn't turned all of those into sharp projectiles and flung them at me, but another part somehow knew that she wasn't going to do it. Her eyes, still transfixed on mine, were...searching.

_'Why? For what...?'_ I asked inside my head. She appeared to understand what I was thinking, for she tilted her head as if trying to get an even better look.

As the time passed, I seemed to finally understand, though no words were said.

_'I see...trust...' _I thought, nodding my head once. Right after I did, she then stepped one foot back, knelt, and bowed with grace and surrender, before disappearing from sight, though I could still feel her presence. The icicles promptly dropped to the ground, and the snow continued their journey with the wind. There was no doubt; I had just gotten myself a Guardian.

Quistis, who had been quietly watching the entire time, snapped back to reality. "Whoa! This has got to be the most unusual Guardian acquisition I've ever seen! You're just full of surprises..."

I just walked past her and began the way back. "Come on...let's go back."

I saw her smile as she walked alongside me. "You know, I think you've got a good compatibility with Shiva. Who knows, maybe with other Guardians also? Almost as if you've had one before..."

"What do you mean?" I asked. Half of my mind was still pondering on what just happened.

"Not only you, actually, also the others...Zell, Irvine, Selphie, Lori, Emmy. Though they all had to battle with their Guardians to get them, it still seemed like they had a connection somehow...I can't really explain it well..."

"And you...?"

She stared forward at nothing, as if trying to recollect something. "Well, I don't remember my professor telling me anything about that. All I heard was how I was a prodigy and had a natural talent for these things..."

"I see..."

"Ah, but enough about those things. We're about to reach those Garden faculty again. You sure showed them and their silly time limit, huh?"

"We did, Quistis," I corrected, matter-of-factly, though it came out more businesslike than anything else.

She smiled again. "Well, you can say that. Thanks, Squall..."

I only nodded in response to that.


	16. Mission's Start

**A/N: **WHOA! It's been TOO LONG since I last updated this story...just that I haven't played FF8 in forever...oh well. That's no excuse. Anyways...

**Shabopo – **I'm continuing it right now...even though I've got exams coming up this week. HAHAHA!!! Thanks for liking the story. Forgive the late update...

**Jayliyah** – I'm glad you enjoy reading the story; I'm also sorry for the very late update. About Rinoa...well, she'll enter the story when she's ready...haha.

Thanks to everyone who's read this...again sorry for the update that took eons to come.

No more further ado...enjoy!

--------------------

**CHAPTER 15**

Mission's Start

The day had finally come.

It was the morning of our final exam for SeeD training, and, when I awoke at 5AM, I was already feeling a bit jumpy.

_'What's to worry about? It's just an exam, like many others I've taken before. It shouldn't be that much of a bother...'_ I kept assuring myself as I just sat up in bed. The night before had provided me with restless sleep; perhaps the nightmare had reared its ugly façade once again, though I couldn't remember what I had dreamt about, if I had.

I shook my head clear, though traces of sleepiness still lingered. After several minutes, I finally got up and showered all of them away, leaving only the anticipation of what was to come in the mission later on. I strode out of the dorm area afterwards, and headed straight to the cafeteria for breakfast, which calmed me down even more.

It was 8 o'clock when I found myself waiting by the navigation terminal along the central hallway, right on schedule. Surprisingly, nobody else was there, not even the professors or any of the students. I was beginning to really wonder what the heck was going on when I noticed the elevator descend, then open to reveal Headmaster Cid himself, with Quistis right behind him. She immediately caught the rather surprised look I shot her, and motioned me to keep whatever suspicions I had to myself for the moment by slightly frowning back at me and shaking her head just a bit.

_'Keep your thoughts to yourself for now...I've got a really good reason, so don't argue!'_ I could almost hear her say.

"Ah, Squall," the Headmaster called out, oblivious to the short exchange between me and the professor. "It would be so like you to arrive even ahead of me. That's good; it shows you have a good sense of time and punctuality." He gave me an approving look.

I was going to reply 'thanks' when hurried footsteps echoed throughout the hall, followed by worried shouting.

"Come on, Zell! Enough with the hotdogs! We're going to be late!" It was Lori.

I craned my head a little to see both her and Zell running towards us, the latter with a hotdog still stuffed in his mouth. Both Cid and Quistis laughed at the sight.

"Straight from the cafeteria, I presume?" Cid asked, still chuckling, when the two neared.

By this time, Zell had already properly swallowed his breakfast. "Wow! You're good, sir! How did you know that?" Lori furrowed her brow and silently laughed at Zell's reply.

"Oh, just a wild guess," the Headmaster good-naturedly answered.

More approaching footfalls signaled the arrival of Selphie and Emily, both running as Zell and Lori did just minutes earlier.

"A-are we late?" Both slightly winded girls panted as each leaned against her companion to catch her own breath.

"There's no need to worry; you're just on time, and not the last ones to arrive, I must tell you," Cid replied amiably. "Come now, you both just rest up for awhile as we await the others."

I furtively raised an eyebrow. _'This certainly looks like the usual Headmaster, all right, though something seems a bit off. But what has he been doing these past...'_ Quistis caught my peering eyes, and once again motioned silently to keep my thoughts in check for the moment. Softly sighing, I complied and let the matter drop at once.

Irvine followed shortly, though he didn't seem to be in as much of a rush as the others. He suddenly gave a start and made a worried face, glancing at his wristwatch. "Am I that late? Zell's already here!"

Zell smirked. "Yeah, I beat you this time, cowboy..."

"...but not without my prodding you the whole morning, Zell," Lori reprimanded, sounding somewhat like Quistis.

"That so?" Irvine asked, not the least bit surprised. "This time doesn't count, then." He added, shrugging.

Zell looked shocked. "What the...?!" He then whispered to Lori, though audible to all of us, "You didn't have to tell him that, Lorraine; this was my biggest chance to outdo him for once..." as they all burst into hearty laughter.

Two other female examinees, who I had recognized as the other student partners involved in the T-Rexaur incident, as well as Xu, the other SeeD/professor in charge of the exam, arrived in the following minutes. It was already a quarter past 8 when I checked the time next. Upon looking up, I saw a figure unhurriedly walking along the far corridor, making his sauntering seem like a deliberate attempt to either prolong the wait or to simply irritate whoever found the situation annoying.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one to notice. "Ah, Mr. Almasy! So glad you could finally join us," the headmaster bellowed merrily, his tone sounding convincingly genuine. He even waved at the nearing student.

_'Yep...that's the Headmaster, all right,'_ I thought, _'though he does seem more cheerful than usual.'_

His tone interrupted my train of thought. "Okay, now that everybody's here, I suppose we can get on with the mission briefing. Oh, but before all, and I seem to have forgotten, I'd like to congratulate all of you for making it this far! I can see a lot of potential in each of you, and I hope you will take this opportunity to develop and make use of those talents not only for the good of the mission, but for your betterment as well..."

I groaned inwardly. _'Now if we could just get this over with, please...'_

It turned out that I didn't have long to wait, as the Headmaster quickly concluded his rather uncharacteristically short speech. "...and with that, I would like to wish you all a safe and successful mission, and hope you all are able to do well. Remember, SeeD mercenaries are only the best of the best. Even then, I am confident that you all will pass with flying colors...you all will not prove me wrong on that."

His ending would stick in my mind even until after the short car ride to Balamb, even during the boat ride to Dollet city where the mission was to take place. It wasn't his words per se that impressed me so much, but the way he said them: with such certainty and definiteness, almost as if he knew that we were all indeed going to pass. For that span of time, I completely forgot about being suspicious about his recent behavior; what predominated was a sense of elevated respect, as well as a lingering wonder as to what he meant. It wasn't merely said, as an assurance or the like; rather, it was stated, as a fact would have been.

"Hey," a voice brought me back from a long contemplation.

It was Quistis. She ambled to the corner where I sat looking out into the outside ocean through a wide pane.

"Worried about the mission?" she asked casually, though I expected her to act more professor-like the entire time of this mission. Apparently, that really wasn't a requirement right now.

In response, I simply continued to stare at the crystalline sea. The sun was high in the sky now; it was almost noon perhaps. I turned to look at the clock that hung on the far wall and saw instead Quistis' face. Standing no more than two feet beside me, she had on an expectant expression, as if waiting for a verbal answer to her previous query. Still I gave none, opting to raise an eyebrow instead while looking at her.

She sighed, and then smiled. "Look, I know you've got a lot on your mind, but please try to concentrate on this. It is a real mission, and other people – namely the citizens of the town – will be involved. Many things could happen, and we really don't know what exactly you guys will be up against."

"SeeD will be there," I stated plainly after having glanced at the clock to find that it was already half past ten in the morning, then returning my gaze outside. It was protocol at all SeeD qualifying missions that the mercenaries themselves intervene if ever things got out of hand.

"And besides..." I added, "The Headmaster said so himself...none of us are going to fail."

She ceded a little, as if slightly taken aback at what I said, and then replied in a slightly angry tone, "That was just an encouragement to you guys; words of support. How could even he know how the exam would turn out even before it started? There have been...rather unfortunate incidents in past exams, some of the takers losing more than just their pride in the process! You can't just rely on those words, on that premonition, that hunch!"

I slowly turned my face to look at hers, making sure to be wearing a mask of indiscernible emotion to hide the smirk underneath. I shook my head. "He stated a fact. I don't feel any sort of suspicion for the man now, unlike a few hours ago." At this point, I couldn't suppress a small grin. "Actually, I respect him more now tenfold. I will not let him down." And then I turned back to the window with finality, leaving her to ponder for herself.

I felt her manage a smile of her own before standing to head to another part of the ship.

Time continued to slip by in relative silence, and a call soon notified that we would be approaching Dollet in less than ten minutes.

_'That was fast...'_ I mused before suddenly hearing Zell wail "About time!"

I rose and strode towards the upper deck of the ship. On the way, I passed through the wide central corridor, where most of the other examinees were. Seifer was leaning on one side, his brow furrowed in concentration. Selphie, Irvine and Emily were reviewing the mission specifics with Quistis. Zell was bouncing on his toes and doing somersaults along the corridor's length as Lori and the other two examinees, Farina and Chris, watched in amusement.

I walked past the various scenes, and ascended a ladder at the far end. This led to a hatch that opened to the outside, on the topmost part of the boat. Climbing out, I easily hoisted myself up over the threshold. The space was small, but chest-high railing ensured considerable safety.

In the distance ahead loomed the communications tower that shadowed the city of Dollet. We were indeed quite near already, if that was in sight. Looking around, the immediate waves around us sped by in a blur of white and blue, while the farther sea hardly seemed to be moving at all. For those instances, I felt like I was standing on the threshold of creation, as if the whole world were below me, and not just this expanse of ocean, which was small compared to the rest of the planet.

"All SeeDs and examinees please report to the lower deck area. I repeat..." the announcement interrupted my focus, and the moment was gone. Almost regretfully, giving the landscape a last sweeping look, I descended to the bridge.

As the mechanical doors _whooshed_ open, I found that I was the last to arrive, and quickly moved into place. I supposed it was then that Quistis finally began talking.

"Now that we are complete, let us go over the mission specifics once more. You will be divided into teams of three, and a leader will be assigned to each. Each team has their own instructions, which will be given shortly. Please remember that, apart from this being your final examination, it is also an actual mission; Dollet is relying on SeeD to hopefully put an end to the trouble caused by these reckless insurgents."

She then recited the different groupings. "One: Seifer Almasy, Zell Dincht, Squall Leonhart." Both Seifer and Zell made disgusted faces. I just folded my arms and sighed resignedly.

"Two: Emily Aegir, Irvine Kinneas, Farina Robbins." Irvine smirked and gave me a thumbs-up, which I ignored. Despite that, I thought he masked a hint of disappointment.

"Three: Lorraine Gerin, Chris Stellen, Selphie Tilmitt." The three girls clustered around each other; Lori and Chris looked determined yet a little bit apprehensive, and Selphie was just plain excited.

Quistis addressed us once more. "Now don't be worried about the way you were arranged, whether all male or female; we, your instructors and supervisors, will not be unfair." She smiled at this, the way she does when she's got something up her sleeve. "As SeeDs, you should be able to perform well under any conditions. Now team two will report to Nida at the bridge..."

_'Nida's here as well?'_ I wondered. The SeeD mercenary was one of the best of his class at the time, a few years ago, before graduating alongside Xu and Quistis. I had thought he was still away on assignment; apparently not.

"...team three will report to Xu in the lobby room on the upper deck; and lastly, team one will stay here for their instructions. Go." The last syllable produced immediate results, as the others saluted and left to meet their respective supervisors.

Zell was able to at least keep a straight face until the other teams had left. After that, he was almost bursting with worry. "Quis! Don't you think that we'd be better off dispersed among the other teams? I mean...Lori, Chris and Selphie alone might not be such a good idea." By the tone of his voice, he was evidently concerned about them, probably Lorraine in particular. The fact that he might want to be in a different team from Seifer was also there, but as a minor issue at most.

Quistis' voice was firm. "So do you doubt your teammates' abilities, Mister Dincht?"

The spike-haired examinee was taken aback. "I-it's not like that...but...I mean..."

She nodded in understanding, now sounding less imposing. "I know what you mean...but this exam is designed to test your own abilities as well as how well you are able to work in a group. Don't worry; the assignments to be given are different for each team. I suppose theirs will be somewhat easier to handle," she said, giving us each pieces of paper, on which were written the mission details. "Your job, I am afraid, is the most difficult, which is why we've grouped you three together."

I skimmed the writing at the same time she was explaining the specifics. "The enemy has infiltrated the communications tower in the town, and is setting up some kind of device there. You are to secure the area and apprehend or eliminate all enemy troops you come across."

"Sounds simple enough," Seifer scoffed. Much as I didn't want to admit it, he was right; the mission did seem rather simple...too simple, in fact.

"Quite. As you have probably noticed, we haven't informed you yet of the so-called insurgents in Dollet," Quistis replied almost casually, yet there was a bit of caution in her tone.

"Mere bandits, right?" Seifer retorted as quickly.

"Oh yeah...then why call for SeeD if it was that easy...?" Zell joined in. This was rather puzzling.

Quistis' look was as level as possible, so I knew she wasn't joking around or telling a lie. "As of yesterday, approximately twenty-one hours ago, the Galbadian army has occupied Dollet by force. SeeD's mission is to remove them from the city at once, using whatever means necessary."

The only outward show of surprise I allowed myself was a slight widening of my eyes, but I am sure I was at least as shocked as both Zell and Seifer.

"Galbadia, huh? Little wonder we were the ones called in," Seifer sneered. "Galbadia Garden couldn't lift a finger against its foster town, the same as Balamb Garden to its town of Balamb."

"Correct," Quistis affirmed. "One more thing...Seifer is being put in charge of your group, since..."

"YOU'VE GOTTA BE JOKING!!!" Zell roared.

"Now, Mister Dincht, show some respect to our professor and supervisor," the newly-proclaimed leader scolded him mockingly.

Quistis merely continued, in an even more serious tone of voice. "...since he has more knowledge about the area and the Galbadian army. However, should the mission fail, the leader would face the strictest repercussions. You have your assignments; carry them out to the best of your abilities, for the glory of SeeD."

_'Not quite the enthusiasm of the Headmaster, but it'll do for her, I guess...'_ I wondered at her apparent lack of enthusiasm, which was not unlike her at times, though.

The remaining time to reach Dollet was less than ten minutes. We all assembled at the ship's launching bay after checking all our gear; the doors leading outside were already beginning to slide open. From above, gunfire could be heard from the ship's weaponry.

"Apparently, some of the enemy soldiers are here to welcome us..." Nida remarked offhandedly, "Anyway. We're at Lapin Beach now. Team one will disembark first, and then team three, and finally team two. You all know your specific missions, but don't lose sight of the general objective." By now, the door was completely open. "The real action begins! Now go out there, and do your best to come back alive!"

I noticed he didn't even mention SeeD once in his send-off monologue.

We made our way out to the beach. Already, bodies of fallen soldiers lay scattered amidst water and sand. Our guns were doing a good job of keeping the place safe, but they couldn't cover us forever. Our infiltration into the town proper was quick and, fortunately, largely uneventful.

The communication tower was off to the south, some ways ahead. Basically, we had to trek across the greater part of the city, and climb the adjacent cliff. Team two headed off towards the west, and the other team hurried north. Quick wishes of good luck and Godspeed were exchanged between the other members before separating, though.

"From here on," Seifer grinned almost wildly, "it gets grisly."


End file.
